Prescott, Arizona — Wildfire Smoke Forecast

Live PM2.5 and 48-hour smoke-model outlook — updated Aug 06, 9:44AM MST

Current air quality

16 µg/m³ measured at 840Mmaz10004, 8 km away, at Aug 06, 8:00AM. The NowCast smoke average is 16 µg/m³ — Moderate on the US EPA scale.

Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged outdoor exertion.

Forecast concentrations are below current levels and expected to ease over the next 48 hours.

No significant smoke is expected in the next 48 hours.

Last 24 hours observed & next 48 hours forecast

25120now-24 h+24 h+48 hµg/m³

Observed · FireSmoke · FireWork · HRRR

Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): Good · Moderate

Next 24 hours — model comparison

Next 6 hours
1–5 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 06, 11:00AM
Next 12 hours
1–6 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 06, 8:00PM
Next 24 hours
1–6 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 06, 8:00PM
Next 48 hours
5–9 µg/m³
Peak around Aug 08, 9:00AM
ModelPeak PM2.5Peak around
HRRR-Smoke (NOAA, 3 km)2 µg/m³Aug 06, 8:00PM
FireWork (ECCC)6 µg/m³Aug 06, 8:00PM
FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky)1 µg/m³Aug 06, 2:00PM

Model values are for the ~10 km grid cell nearest Prescott; the two models are independent and often disagree — treat the higher value as the cautious planning number.

Observations and NowCast are total PM2.5 — wildfire smoke plus every other source — as regulatory monitors measure it, and FireWork models that same total. FireSmoke is a smoke-dispersion model: it estimates the wildfire contribution only, so it reads lower than the monitors whenever other sources matter. The map's optional plume layer is likewise fires-only.

Sky vs. ground

Little smoke at the surface or overhead.

Sky right now
Clear sky

At the ground · Overhead (if mixed down)

0285611:00AM5:00PM11:00PMµg/m³

Overhead smoke dims the sun but is not what you breathe. The dashed line shows the surface level if the whole column mixed through the boundary layer — a worst case, not a forecast · Data: NOAA HRRR-Smoke

Nearest monitoring stations

Open the live chart for 840Mmaz10004 — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.