SEATTLE (AP) Poor air quality will be common across parts of the Pacific Northwest this week as winds push smoke from surrounding wildfires into the region, forecasters and regulators said.
Air quality alerts are in effect for much of Washington state through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Smoky, hazy conditions are making a return to the Puget Sound region because of wildfires in British Columbia and the Cascade Mountains, according to the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Smoke could worsen into unhealthy levels by Monday, the agency said.
Two womens college soccer matches scheduled at Gonzaga University in Spokane and Eastern Washington University in Cheney were canceled Sunday because of the poor air quality, university officials said.
Environmental regulators also issued a pollution advisory for southwest Washington, Portland and much of the Willamette Valley. The air quality level is expected to reach into unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Pacific Northwest in a haze
