Reno, Nevada — Wildfire Smoke Forecast

Current air quality

16 µg/m³ measured at Reno4, 2 km away, at Aug 06, 9:00AM. The NowCast smoke average is 17 µg/m³ — Moderate on the US EPA scale.

Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged outdoor exertion.

Forecasts show smoke increasing, peaking near 37 µg/m³ within the next 48 hours.

No significant smoke is expected in the next 48 hours.

Last 24 hours observed & next 48 hours forecast

● Observed · ● FireSmoke · ● FireWork · ● HRRR

Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): ■ Good · ■ Moderate · ■ Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups

Next 24 hours — model comparison

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

Observations and NowCast are total PM_2.5 — 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

Smoke is overhead, not in the air you breathe.

● At the ground · ● Overhead (if mixed down)

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

Forecast track record here

1-day record · 8 nearby monitors

Mean absolute error and average tendency in µg/m³, from forecasts verified 0–6 hours ahead at monitors within 50 km. A short-range record, not a measure of how far ahead a model stays reliable. FireSmoke and HRRR model wildfire smoke only, so they read below the monitors whenever other sources of PM2.5 matter.

Nearest monitoring stations

• Reno4 — 2 km
• Sparks — 6 km
• Spanish Springs — 13 km

Open the live chart for Reno4 — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.