Smoke, haze on tap, but may ease a tad

Smoke gets in your eyes is more than a song title in Carson City and the region this weekend.

“Smoke and haze has persisted through the overnight hours generally from Truckee-Carson City-Fallon northward to the Oregon border,” the National Weather Service in Reno reported about the northern California and northwestern Nevada region Friday. The area forecast discussion for the weekend didn’t provide significant room for a change in the smoke situation from western wildfires, though small improvement prospects weren’t branded impossible.

It said, however, today looks to be hazy still.

An active rough fire in Kings Canyon National Park may spread California/Nevada smoke across southern Mono and Mineral counties this afternoon, said the Reno weather service area discussion, “with distant haze visible south and east of the Reno-Tahoe vicinity.” It reported no major flareups from the Walker fire near Mono Lake, “which has been less active for the past couple of days.”

Jim Wallmann in the Reno office confirmed that, saying smoky conditions in northwestern Nevada coming more from wildfires to the west rather than southwest were Friday’s problem. He said there may be “a little bit of improvement” today compared with Friday afternoon as wind direction shifts, while “Sunday looks like the best day” as wind direction changes again.

“This smoke is all from the fire west of Redding,” he said Friday.

Results of the haze mean visibility has been poor and conditions have brought warnings air quality is unhealthy for sensitive groups.

“Air quality may improve this afternoon with increased westerly winds and better mixing,” the area forecast discussion reported, “but new smoke will likely push into the region again as wildfires continue to burn in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.”