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Clearing Things Out: What to Do When The Air Clears


The view of Grizzly Peak from Ashland on Aug. 3 one of the clearer days recently.

Some relief from smoky conditions may be in sight early this weekend for the Rogue Valley, Southeastern and Eastern Oregon as winds help push smoke out of those areas.

If air quality does improve in your area here are some things to do while you have the chance:

    • Air out your home
    • Clean and vacuum
    • Run errands
    • And if conditions really clear up in your area, get outside -- maybe even get the pets outside.
Local conditions can vary and conditions can change rapidly, so keep an eye on the Air Quality Index. As those of you who live in smoke-prone areas already know, fire and weather conditions can be hard to predict.

If you are able to get out and about this weekend, remember remote areas, where many wildfires occur, don’t always have air quality monitors. One way to gauge smoke levels when monitoring data isn’t available is by using the 5-3-1 visibility index.

Earlier this week we shared some advice on how to keep indoor air healthy during sustained periods of smoke. Remember to keep those handy since relief will most likely be temporary.


The more common view of Grizzly Peak this summer.