air quality

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Years of planning for the future of transportation around Lake Tahoe has led to the creation of a Regional Transportation Plan. Join the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) on Monday, October 12 during a one-hour webinar on the draft plan starting at noon to learn more (register here).

The Fork Fire west of Lake Tahoe remains at 1,752 acres and is now 34 percent contained. Low pressure off the coast will advance toward the region, bringing an increase in afternoon southwest winds across ridge tops and aligned drainages. Dry conditions will persist with slight cooling.

The front will pass over the area on Friday, driving gusty southwest and west winds with cooler temperatures and higher humidity. Little to no precipitation is expected.

WASHOE COUNTY, Nev. - The Washoe County Health District – Air Quality Management Division (AQMD) has issued a Stage 2 Air Pollution Warning for Washoe County based on current air pollution levels. This warning means that all residents should stay indoors and reduce activity levels due to the susceptibility of increased health risks.

This is the first Stage 2 warning ever issued by the Health District and is in place until further notice.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - The National Weather Service (NWS) in Reno has changed their previous Fire Weather Watch to a Red Flag Warning for Tuesday, September 8 from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

They have also issued a Special Weather Statement and a Lake Wind Advisory for Tuesday from 3:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Red Flag Warning

This warning is in place due to gusty winds and low humidity for the Lake Tahoe Basin, Western Lassen, Eastern Plumas, Eastern Sierrs, and Eastern Nevada Counites. Fire Zone 271 and Fire Zone 272.

SUNDAY UPDATE 11:00 a.m.: Eight hundred personnel are currently fighting the Creek Fire which has grown to 45,500 acres.

The Creek Fire a fast-moving fire burning on both Districts of the Forest. The fire which started near the communities of Big Creek and Huntington Lake, moved very quickly prompting several evacuations. Early Saturday afternoon the fire crossed the San Joaquin River and made a run into the Mammoth Pool area. Prompting some members of the public to shelter in place near Wagner’s Store and Campground.

Wednesday evening update: The Slink Fire behavior today was moderate, though the south end saw small, terrain driven runs. The fire is 14,200 acres and 10 percent contained.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Multiple new fires, mostly from last week’s lightning, are causing a drastic decrease in air quality at Lake Tahoe and throughout the state. Another inversion is expected to set up overnight Thursday, and visibility may be impaired due to smoky conditions.

The air quality in all area communities has been around the unhealthy to very unhealthy range for the past two days. As of 3:45 p.m. Thursday, the Air Quality Index in South Lake Tahoe was 195.

WASHOE COUNTY, Nev. - Students in the Washoe County School District will not be going back to school as planned on Monday, August 17. COVID-19 didn't delay the start but heavy smoke and unhealthy air from the Loyalton Fire did.

The fire had consumed over 28,000 acres as of Sunday, prompting officials to delay the start at all schools in the district except for those in Lake Tahoe. Both Incline Elementary and High Schools had a scheduled start of school for August 31.

UPDATE 7:335 p.m.: Douglas County officials say the Numbers Fire has now reached 18,000 acres and is 0% contained. The recommended evacuations for the Bodie Flats and Pineview areas have been lifted. Only residents are allowed to these areas. Please drive safely, watch for emergency vehicles, and be ready for possible future instructions in an ever-changing situation.

Multiple local, state, and federal agencies continue to work on containing the fire using dozers, hand crews, and aircraft.

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Lake Tahoe transit providers Tahoe Transportation District (TTD) and Tahoe‐Truckee Area Regional Transit (TART) will be getting a boost from the federal government after they received word that $8.6 million form the CARES Act is headed their way. Transit services are especially critical to essential workers during this COVID crisis, the agencies said today.

These funds will help sustain free transit services for the public.

On March 3, 2020, the Meyer’s community will need to make some difficult decisions about the services that we need and want in our community. Not only do we need to support our Lake Valley Fire Fighters through Measure B, but we also need to decide whether timely, safe and efficient snow removal is vital to our safety, our economy and our ability to live and work in Meyers. For the Meyer’s Advisory Council, the answer is a resounding YES.

Welcome to the ninth year summary of the SnowGlobe Music Festival. This is the first year the TRPA has done any monitoring and the event continues to violate TRPA’s pre-existing rules. We can add air pollution to the list of accomplishments for this event given the recent successful lawsuit by the Center for Environmental Health (CEH). Onsite inspections for building and fire continue to find violations (they have had violations every year) and the fireworks were moved to an open undeveloped area in the forest of Bijou Park this year.

There was minimal fire activity on the Caples Fire last night due to near freezing nighttime temperatures, high relative humidity, and very light winds. The natural wind patterns from the west/southwest will continue to be good for suppression actions. Temperatures are moderate during the day and the relative humidity is low, and those nighttime conditions help with light winds and high relative humidity recovery.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Displaced students from Sierra House Elementary School are expected to be able to return to their home campus this week. Though the exact date is yet unknown, Principal Karin Holmes sent a letter to parents to give them the much-awaited news.

Belfor Construction is finalizing construction in the multi-purpose room while mantenance and custodial staff are wiping down dust, cleaning carpets and bathrooms, and testing will be conducted on water, HVAC and fire systems.

While it still feels like winter, with a healthy snowpack and ski resorts reporting record monthly snowfall in February, another building season is fast approaching. One of the questions people ask the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency each year is why they have to pay mitigation fees for their development, like new homes and remodeling projects.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - Attending the December 6 special meeting of the Lake Tahoe Unified School Board were concerned parents, teachers and staff from Sierra House Elementary, enough to fill the room and into the hallway. They were there to ask the Board why the school was reopened just two days after the November 11 fire that took out a hallway, a reading room, teacher's room and caused damage to ducts and panels above the ceiling.

DECEMBER 2, 2018 - The fifth update from Sierra House Elementary School in South Lake Tahoe since their November 11 fire has been released, and the Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) sample results have been returned.

While there are trace amounts of various compounds that are associated with every day use, all samples tested well below the regulatory levels. These results along with yesterday's sample on asbestos all showing negative results, school will be open on Monday, December 3.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A fire that destroyed a hallway, reading room and teacher's room on Sunday, November 11 was just seconds away from engulfing all of Sierra House Elementary. Had it not been for the quick response by Lake Valley Fire Protection District the discussion would be about replacing the 44-year-old South Lake Tahoe school rather than the processes involved to get it cleaned up and opened in just two days.

The impact of the wildfires throughout California has created additional needs for blood and added importance to holiday blood donations.

Many blood drives have been canceled in the Chico area since the Paradise community was destroyed. As the days go on, poor air quality is disrupting donations at surrounding donation centers. Over 300 potential donations were immediately lost due to canceled blood drives and 500 more donations are at risk as poor air quality continues to effect donors and staff.

Fall in El Dorado County means several things, but on the top of many lists is a trip to Apple Hill during the month of October.

Weekend crowds are already heading to the farms, wineries and breweries from Placerville to Pollock Pines, but the thousands of cars that make the trip each week during the month of October have prompted transportation, farming, tourism, safety and County officials to work together to alleviate the weekend gridlock on area roads.

While staying above normal, temperatures will cool down slightly over the weekend and early next week, espcially in the record breaking areas of Reno and Carson City. Areas of smoke and haze will continue to degrade air quality, especially north and east of the Donnell Fire. There will be a slight chance of thunderstorms well south of Highway 50 this weekend with chances increasing and spreading farther north next week.

The forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno:

A number of fires across northern and eastern California continue to bring hazy conditions and degraded air quality to northeast California, the Sierra, and western Nevada. According to the National Weather Service in Reno, areas at greatest risk for unhealthy to very unhealthy air quality are from Sonora Pass to South Lake Tahoe and Carson City.

When looking back at the month of July, each day's high temperatures in South Lake Tahoe were above average except for one, which was equal to the high. Even though July was a warm month, no record highs were set.

After such a warm month, August is starting out much the same.

There will be widespread haze around Lake Tahoe this weekend as smoke from the Carr Fire near Redding and the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite comes into the Basin. Even with the resulting hazy skies, the air quality has remained in the "good" range with a current AQI of 15 on Saturday morning.

Prolonged heat will affect the region well into next week with highs above 100 degrees in Western Nevada and above 85 near the Sierra. There will be increased winds each afternoon and early evening Wednesday through Friday.

Forecast from the National Weather Service in Reno: