50 µg/m³ measured at Kennewick-Metaline, 5 km away, at Aug 06, 9:00AM. The NowCast smoke average is 57 µg/m³ — Unhealthy on the US EPA scale.
Everyone may begin to feel health effects; sensitive groups should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.
Forecasts show smoke increasing, peaking near 416 µg/m³ within the next 48 hours.
The current smoke should clear by about Aug 07, 5:00PM.
● Observed · ● FireSmoke · ● FireWork · ● HRRR
Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): ■ Good · ■ Moderate · ■ Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups · ■ Unhealthy · ■ Very Unhealthy · ■ Hazardous
| Model | Peak PM2.5 | Peak around |
|---|---|---|
| HRRR-Smoke (NOAA, 3 km) | 65 µg/m³ | Aug 06, 11:00AM |
| FireWork (ECCC) | 106 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 3:00AM |
| FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky) | 416 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 8:00AM |
Model values are for the ~10 km grid cell nearest Kennewick; 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.
Smoke is at the surface and overhead.
● 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
1-day record · 7 nearby monitors
| Model | Typical error | Tendency |
|---|---|---|
| HRRR-Smoke | 17.0 µg/m³ | reads high 1.9 |
| FireWork | 34.9 µg/m³ | reads low 34.9 |
| FireSmoke | 48.9 µg/m³ | reads low 48.9 |
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.
Open the live chart for Kennewick-Metaline — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.