While wildfires continue to rage in Northern California, the Bay Area’s air quality is forecast to improve this week, according to the National Weather Service.
Smoke lingered in the air over last weekend, with air quality levels in the moderate range and skies darkened with soot.
"People were commenting about the lower air quality," said National Weather Service meteorologist David King. "We also saw pictures on social media, with the covered up the blue sky."
But conditions are expected to improve Monday, as the wind starts to pick up out of the west, coming out from the ocean, and further onshore pushing the smoke east. "And that has really cleared things out," said King.
"The good news is, is that there is kind of this lull in the pattern where the atmosphere is starting to change," said King. The change is most likely going to happen mid-week, with increasing pressure over the desert in the Southwest, kicking up southerly winds.
The southerly winds will subsequently push smoke from Northern California fires further north. That might become an issue if a fire breaks out in Southern California.
"I hope it doesn’t happen," said King.
As of right now, though, there is no smoke forecast in the Bay Area’s air.
