Wildfire haze invades Las Vegas sky, air quality moderate at best

The Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability issued an advisory for Thursday for elevated levels of smoke and ozone from wildfires drifting from northern California.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, people with respiratory problems, cardiac disease, children and senior citizens are most sensitive to elevated levels of particulates and ozone.

As of 4 p.m. Thursday, most air monitoring stations across the valley rated air quality as unhealthy for sensitive groups to moderate. Only one site, along the 215 Beltway in Henderson had a good rating for air quality.

The Thursday night forecast calls for smoke between 10 and 11 p.m. with widespread haze after 11 p.m. No haze or smoke is listed in the forecast for Friday.

“With a low system in northwest Utah, wind flow has transported a large area of smoke into Southern Nevada for today that will result in an air quality index for unhealthy for smoke today,” states the Clark County Air Quality website. “The wind flow around the low system will help keep smoke in the area through the weekend with varying degrees of smoke density.”

People sensitive to air pollution should limit their outdoor expose or stay indoors completely, if possible.

“A cold front may not make it (all the way) down here, but it dragged a little more smoke with it in a north-northwest flow and we will definitely see a little more haze,” meteorologist Barry Pierce said.

Cooler with less humidity

On the plus side, the cold front will bring the coolest day of the week and overnight lows in the 70s with reduced humidity,” Pierce said. Overnight conditions will be similar through the weekend.

The haze could thin out a bit on Friday but appears poised to be thicker on Saturday and possibly into Sunday, Pierce said.

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.