The bulk of today’s storms are moving out — and more Canadian wildfire smoke is about to move in.
The smoke that enveloped Chicago and much of the Midwest today is set to push east toward our region. That has prompted a Code Orange air quality alert for the D.C. area tomorrow (Wednesday).
Update at 3:10 p.m. — So far, only 86 Dominion customers are reported to be without power in Arlington, compared with nearly 2,800 in Fairfax County and the City of Fairfax.
Update at 2:45 p.m. — A particularly intense portion of the storm is over Rosslyn, according to the National Weather Service. Additionally, a tree has been reported down on power lines on the 600 block of N. Kenmore Street in Ashton Heights.
Arlington County and the rest of the D.C. region are now under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch.
The watch is in effect until 9 p.m.
Arlington is under one of the few Severe Thunderstorm Watches so far this year.
The watch was just expanded into Arlington and also covers D.C., Alexandria, Falls Church and Fairfax County.
The air quality in Arlington has reached the worst level on the scale — “hazardous.”
As of 9 a.m. the federal government website AirNow says Arlington’s AQI, or air quality index, is 313. That puts the county in “Code Maroon” territory, two levels above the more commonly known Code Red.
Update at 9:30 a.m. — The air quality has worsened and entered the “Code Maroon” — or “hazardous” — category.
Update at 8:50 a.m. — Air quality in Arlington has reached well into the Code Purple “Very Unhealthy” category, with an AQI of 276. All locals should avoid spending time outside if possible or wear an N95 or similar mask.
(Updated at noon) Air quality measurements have exceeded Code Red levels in the D.C. area, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
It’s no surprise to anyone who can see and smell the smoke outside. The thick haze has been wafting into the region from the north, amid severe wildfires in Canada.
Updated at 9:45 a.m. — The Code Orange alert has been changed to a Code Red alert.
Wednesday is forecast to be a “Code Orange” day in Arlington and across the D.C. area.
We’re now into the back third of meteorological spring and it’s feeling more like… the beginning?
It has been a notably cool (and wet) end to April and start of May, right around when one might have been expecting some warmer weather to move in.
Just over 5,000 Dominion customers were without power Saturday afternoon, according to the power company’s website.
The large outage, centered around Columbia Pike but running from Douglas Park in the south to Lyon Park in the north, is the result of storm damage, Dominion said. A line of thunderstorms with gusty winds and heavy rain rolled through Arlington prior to the outage.
Updated at 9:40 a.m. — The earlier watch has been upgraded to a Red Flag Warning. From the National Weather Service:
…RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR VIRGINIA, SOUTHERN MARYLAND, AND EASTERN WEST VIRGINIA PANHANDLE…
Protect those sensitive plants and that outdoor plumbing now — the potential for freezing overnight temperatures has prompted a Freeze Warning for Arlington and other parts of the D.C. area.
More from the National Weather Service:
