Smoke in Carson City area is expected to clear up next week

Clearer skies are in the forecast for Carson Valley this week as the smoke is expected to clear up going into this weekend.

The Valley saw somewhat poor air quality because of smoke spilling over the mountains from the Peak, Mission and Railroad fires burning in Central California.

Chris Johnston, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Reno said most of the smoke is coming from Wawona, Calif., a small town in Yosemite National Park, around which several fires are burning.

Johnston said the smoke may linger on Saturday, but most of it was expected to mix out Friday afternoon. He said the winds are expected to shift on Saturday to blow towards the east to push the smoke over the mountains.

AirNow has the air quality in Gardnerville and Carson City labeled as “moderate,” but show it shifting to “good” on Saturday.

The temperature in the valley is expected to fluctuate slightly with a chance of thunderstorms in Gardnerville and Minden Friday night. Saturday will see a high of 84 in the valley and warmer temperatures going into next week with a high of 90 predicted for Monday.

Johnston said people should “keep an eye on the sky” today, particularly hikers who plan on making their way out to lakes this evening with the potential for thunderstorms on the way.