Dense Smoke in Washington
Every dense smoke event the National Weather Service has filed in Washington, year by year, with the most significant episodes. Smoke reducing visibility to a quarter mile or less.
The most significant on the map
The most significant dense smoke episodes in Washington.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The record
- Events
- 26
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Damage
- None recorded
Every year
The most significant
Ranked by deaths, injuries, damage and size together.
- Dense Smoke in Washington, August 3 to 27, 2018Multiple large wildfires in the Cascades and the mountains of northeast Washington produced copious quantities of dense smoke through much of the month of August.
- Dense Smoke in Washington, September 12 to 19, 2020Multiple large wildfires in Washington, Oregon, and surrounding states produced copious quantities of dense smoke throughout the month of September. Due to poor ventilation and a gradual return to southwest winds, there were increasing amounts of wildfire smoke to Washington.
- Dense Smoke in Washington, September 4 to 8, 2017Smoke from numerous regional wildfires in Canada, Montana, Oregon and Washington fumigated eastern Washington from September 4th through the 8th.
- Dense Smoke in Washington, August 16 to 27, 2018During the month of August numerous large wildfires in north Idaho, northeast Washington, Montana and British Columbia contributed to periods of Unhealthy and occasionally Hazardous air quality conditions in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington.
- Dense Smoke in Washington, August 2 to 14, 2017During the month of August Eastern Washington was fumigated by dense smoke palls from numerous wildfires around the region.
- Dense Smoke in Washington, September 11 to 15, 2020After an anomalous period of strong offshore flow and warm, dry weather, numerous wildfires ignited across the Pacific Northwest.
More
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24.