A mixture of haze and sun late Friday afternoon through Carson City. Photo by Kelsey Penrose
Skies could get hazy this weekend thanks to multiple wildfires in the north. Credit: Kelsey Penrose

A heatwave and possible smoke migration from ongoing wildfires up north means this weekend might be best for indoor activities.

According to the National Weather Service, a heatwave is slated to begin today, Thursday July 10 and last at least through the 14th.

Alpine lake temps could reach into the 90s, while valley temperatures will soar into the 100s.

In Carson City, we are slated to stay just under the 100 degree threshold until Sunday, if we’re lucky.

As for wildlife smoke, the Weather Service said the smoke may be migrating down from wildfires currently burning in Oregon and Northern California (namely the ‘Elk’ and ‘Green’ fires).

Carson City’s air is mostly in the “good” AQI (Air Quality Index) as of 9:30 a.m. Thursday, but there are some ares to the north and east of us that have already dipped into the “moderate” category.

These photos were grabbed around 9:30 a.m.; for updated AQI scores, visit AirNow.gov

Be sure to plan ahead for this weekend, keep those windows closed if the smoke starts to migrate, and make sure if you have an HVAC system, you have new HEPA filters ready to go. Filtering wildfire smoke takes a lot of work, and your system can stop functioning as well if its filters are blocked — not a good idea for a heatwave weekend!

Kelsey is a fourth-generation Nevadan, English professor and investigative journalist working in the Sierras. More importantly, she is an advocate of high desert agriculture and rescue dogs.