Wildfire smoke: we made it into the purple zone on Wednesday

See the cluster of purple dots? That's us on Wednesday 10-18-22.
Puget Sound Clean Air

By Diane Hettrick

Wednesday's smoke was the worst I've seen this year. Unlike most days where the thickest layer of smoke hovers in the treetops and the ground level air is passable, this smoke was thick all the way to the ground.

I have figured out that I am in the "vulnerable population" after a lifetime of allergies. I was very happy to have an N95 mask at hand when I went out. They really do protect you from breathing the smoke and inhaling the particules, even if I still haven't figured out how to keep my glasses on my face when wearing a mask.

If you see someone outside with their head tipped back, it might be me, trying to keep my glasses on my face.

Sunset at Richmond Beach. Photographer Frank Kleyn says there is a boat on the water.
And that's there's water.

WeatherWatcher Carl Dinse often observes how the weather is different between his stations in Richmond Beach and Shoreline/Northridge, with Richmond Beach being somewhat cooler. The wind that comes off the Sound to cool Richmond Beach was not in evidence Wednesday.

If anything, it looked worse. Frank Kleyn says there is a boat in his photo.

However, in a previous weather report, Carl said that rain would be coming, potentially overnight Friday.