City Guide
Seattle AQI planning guide
Seattle residents often face sharp changes during wildfire smoke events, so a decision tool is most valuable when it helps you act early rather than react late.
Planning AQI
120
Berkeley Earth 24-hour comparison
1.96
cigarette-equivalents per day
Category
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Live AQI and forecast
Current observations and forecasts come from the US EPA AirNow network. Current AQI is an area-level NowCast; local smoke shifts can still change conditions quickly.
Current reading
54
Moderate
Seattle-Bellevue-Kent Valley, WA • 2026-09-06 19:00 PST
Peak concern season
Jul-Sep
Regional wildfire smoke is the main driver of severe short-term changes.
Repeat-use trigger
School + sleep
Families often need one plan for daytime school and another for overnight indoor air.
Indoor priority
Clean-air room
A prepared clean room matters more in multi-day smoke events than one-off outdoor masking.
Upcoming forecast
2026-09-07
AQI 33
Good
For Fri-Mon (Sep 4-7) We'll have mostly GOOD to MODERATE air quality this weekend. Late this afternoon and early evening, we may have some smoke moving into the Cascades and sneaking through the passes. Some areas could reach MODERATE or UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS for a few hours. Overnight and into Saturday, winds should shift back to westerly and mix the smoke and push it back east. This pattern could repeat again Saturday evening and Sun. Monday should have good westerly winds and GOOD air quality.
2026-09-08
AQI 33
Good
For Fri-Mon (Sep 4-7) We'll have mostly GOOD to MODERATE air quality this weekend. Late this afternoon and early evening, we may have some smoke moving into the Cascades and sneaking through the passes. Some areas could reach MODERATE or UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS for a few hours. Overnight and into Saturday, winds should shift back to westerly and mix the smoke and push it back east. This pattern could repeat again Saturday evening and Sun. Monday should have good westerly winds and GOOD air quality.
2026-09-09
AQI 33
Good
For Fri-Mon (Sep 4-7) We'll have mostly GOOD to MODERATE air quality this weekend. Late this afternoon and early evening, we may have some smoke moving into the Cascades and sneaking through the passes. Some areas could reach MODERATE or UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS for a few hours. Overnight and into Saturday, winds should shift back to westerly and mix the smoke and push it back east. This pattern could repeat again Saturday evening and Sun. Monday should have good westerly winds and GOOD air quality.
Source note: When smoke is moving in, forecast direction matters almost as much as the current value because conditions can change fast overnight.
What to do now in Seattle
This decision block uses the latest live value when available, otherwise the city planning baseline.
Using live AQI
AQI 54
Moderate
About 0.49 cigarettes per 24h at this reading.
Sensitive groups may notice irritation with longer outdoor exposure or exercise.
Common planning patterns
City planning checklist
- Close windows before smoke visibly thickens indoors.
- Identify one cleanest room in advance of smoke season.
- Keep school and activity plans flexible when AQI is rising.
Useful next pages for this city
These linked pages answer the kinds of follow-up questions people usually have after checking the reading.
Kids and school exposure guide
Plan school runs, recess, and after-school time when children are more sensitive than adults.
Wildfire smoke response plan
Use AQI to decide when normal air-quality habits are not enough and smoke response should begin.
Outdoor exercise risk guide
Translate AQI into a clear decision for running, cycling, or training outside.