Pacific Northwest Air Quality Alert

Is the air quality good in the Pacific Northwest?

On October 31, 2025, 8:05 AM PT, air quality is in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range in multiple cities across British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington State.

A few air quality monitoring stations, including Orofino, Idaho and Granite Falls, Washington are measuring air quality in the “unhealthy” range.

Where is there poor air quality in the Pacific Northwest?

Several cities are experiencing poor air quality on Friday morning, including;

Agassiz, British Columbia
Albany, Oregon
Alta, Montana
Crescent, Oregon
Inchelium, Washington
Moscow, Idaho
Moses Lake, Washington
Richland, Washington
Sandpoint, Idaho
Spokane, Washington

Air quality alerts across the Pacific Northwest. Source: IQAir.

What is causing poor air quality in the Pacific Northwest?

There are many active, small, prescribed fires in the Pacific Northwest and several mostly controlled wildfires (1). Mostly contained but still active fires include the Lower Sugarloaf, Labor Mountain, and Wildcat fires in central Washington State; the Bear Gulch fire on the Olympic peninsula; and the Emigrant and Moon Complex fires in southwestern Oregon.

Although these fires range from 50-99% contained, smoke emitted from the remnants of the fires can still contribute to the regional air quality until the fires are fully extinguished.

The region has experienced numerous large fires in part due to extreme drought in the central and eastern areas of Washington State and exceptional drought in Idaho (2).

Temperature inversions can also be common in valleys and basins during fall and winter months. A layer of warm air can form over cooler surface-level air, trapping airborne pollutants and preventing their dispersal.

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