Haze Over Northern California From Wildfires to the South

Staff Report –

Haze hanging over the California Central Valley this week drifted in from more than 100 miles south, where two large wildfires burning in Monterey County are pushing smoke across a wide swath of Northern California.

Winds carried smoke from the Timber Fire, which has burned more than 24,000 acres, and the Plaskett Fire, at more than 15,000 acres, inland over the weekend. Some of that smoke sank overnight to elevations around 3,000 feet, settling into foothill communities just as the holiday week began.

People living along or east of the Highway 49 corridor to keep windows closed while the smoke lingers. Both fires have forced evacuations near Big Sur, where a long stretch of Highway 1 remains closed to traffic.

September is opening with much cooler than normal temperatures and a fresh Delta breeze, and forecasters expect hazy conditions to come and go through the week. Air quality could still dip into ranges unhealthy for sensitive groups at times, particularly in the Sierra foothills.

Anyone planning Labor Day hikes, rides or lake days should check current air quality readings before heading out, especially with kids, older adults or anyone with respiratory issues along.

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Reporting from ActiveNorcal.

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