It's getting hard to breathe

Is increased wildfire smoke an early sign of climate change?

With fire season starting to ramp up, smoky skies are filling the Columbia Basin and creating unhealthy air. While fire season isn’t new to those in the Pacific Northwest, it has become more noticeable over the last few years. “I think a lot of folks have been impressed by just in the last 10 years, just how much smokier our summers have been,” said Nick Bond, Washington State Climatologist at the University of Washington-based Office of the Washington State Climatologist, and a UW affiliate associate professor of atmospheric sciences. There are several fires, mainly to the northwest of Grant County, contributing to the smoky air this week.