Haze From BC Fires To Linger In Waterville Plateau,Columbia Basin

Smoke from wildfires in northern British Columbia is bringing haze to parts of North Central Washington. 

The haze will persist through Thursday night in the Waterville Plateau and the Columbia Basin as well as parts of Okanogan County, including Omak. 

Meteorologist Charlotte Dewey with the National Weather Service says the smoke is moving with the wind. 

"That wind flow will then shift out of the west," said Dewey. "So, once we bring the smoke south, then it'll shift east. That's why the smoke directional forecast is coming south first, and then east." 

She says conditions in Canada have been ripe for wildfires. 

"A lot of the smoke that we're seeing in the U.S. right now is originating from wildfires in Canada," Dewey said. "And knowing that we've had a dry springtime, it doesn't surprise me that there's been wildfires up there. They've had a lot of heat up there as well, which drives wildfire progression." 

Low humidity in the teens in North Central Washington will elevate four or five percent to ease some of the wildfire danger as the week progresses. 

There will be a higher heat risk for the Wenatchee area stretching to Quincy on Thursday and Friday. 

The heat risk will be Level 3 Red, which is considered major. Conditions will mean the heat affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration. The impacts will likely be felt in some health systems, heat sensitive industries and infrastructure. 

According to the weather service, Wenatchee has a 51 percent chance of topping 95 degrees on Thursday, while Moses Lake has a 66 percent chance and Omak has a 31 percent chance.