SmogRank / Episodes / United States
North-western United States and Canada, August 2023
For 15 days, from 17 to 31 August 2023, 110 cities in the United States and Canada had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada: 597.0 µg/m³ on 21 August, about 55× its usual 10.9.
Day by day
How it spread
Every city it reached
| City | Days | Highest | Above usual |
|---|---|---|---|
| KamloopsBritish Columbia, Canada | 8 | 597.021 August | 55× |
| Grants PassOregon, United States | 13 | 214.027 August | 43× |
| RoseburgOregon, United States | 8 | 202.027 August | 40× |
| Tri-CitiesWashington, United States | 3 | 211.521 August | 36× |
| PentictonBritish Columbia, Canada | 9 | 251.020 August | 36× |
| Walla WallaWashington, United States | 4 | 226.020 August | 32× |
| PascoWashington, United States | 3 | 157.021 August | 31× |
| KelownaBritish Columbia, Canada | 8 | 267.020 August | 30× |
| The DallesOregon, United States | 5 | 174.020 August | 30× |
| AshlandOregon, United States | 15 | 149.028 August | 29× |
| HermistonOregon, United States | 3 | 195.021 August | 28× |
| SpokaneWashington, United States | 5 | 256.019 August | 28× |
| WenatcheeWashington, United States | 3 | 163.021 August | 28× |
| MedfordOregon, United States | 15 | 160.028 August | 28× |
| Spokane ValleyWashington, United States | 4 | 237.019 August | 26× |
| Moses LakeWashington, United States | 5 | 192.020 August | 25× |
| EllensburgWashington, United States | 3 | 145.020 August | 23× |
| PendletonOregon, United States | 4 | 180.020 August | 23× |
| VernonBritish Columbia, Canada | 8 | 201.020 August | 21× |
| BendOregon, United States | 12 | 154.528 August | 21× |
| YakimaWashington, United States | 3 | 141.021 August | 20× |
| SunnysideWashington, United States | 4 | 158.021 August | 20× |
| ChilliwackBritish Columbia, Canada | 5 | 115.020 August | 18× |
| PullmanWashington, United States | 3 | 147.020 August | 17× |
| EdmontonAlberta, Canada | 1 | 201.03 September | 15× |
| Coeur d'AleneIdaho, United States | 4 | 142.019 August | 14× |
| RedmondOregon, United States | 12 | 157.021 August | 14× |
| CranbrookBritish Columbia, Canada | 5 | 104.017 August | 12× |
| IssaquahWashington, United States | 4 | 60.720 August | 12× |
| AuburnWashington, United States | 3 | 70.520 August | 12× |
| CoquitlamBritish Columbia, Canada | 3 | 62.520 August | 12× |
| LewistonIdaho, United States | 5 | 123.020 August | 12× |
| ShorelineWashington, United States | 3 | 59.320 August | 11× |
| AltamontOregon, United States | 8 | 63.228 August | 11× |
| ParklandWashington, United States | 2 | 56.220 August | 11× |
| EugeneOregon, United States | 4 | 59.615 August | 11× |
| MoscowIdaho, United States | 4 | 106.020 August | 10× |
| Red DeerAlberta, Canada | 1 | 111.73 September | 10× |
| TacomaWashington, United States | 2 | 52.620 August | 9.7× |
| OrchardsWashington, United States | 2 | 48.420 August | 9.7× |
| SquamishBritish Columbia, Canada | 4 | 69.220 August | 9.5× |
| CanbyOregon, United States | 1 | 44.720 August | 8.9× |
| Columbia CityWashington, United States | 3 | 60.320 August | 8.7× |
| RentonWashington, United States | 4 | 52.320 August | 8.7× |
| West VancouverBritish Columbia, Canada | 3 | 45.020 August | 8.7× |
| ReddingCalifornia, United States | 2 | 52.529 August | 8.6× |
| UkiahCalifornia, United States | 2 | 47.230 August | 8.6× |
| GreshamOregon, United States | 1 | 41.520 August | 8.3× |
| BremertonWashington, United States | 2 | 41.020 August | 8.2× |
| HillsboroOregon, United States | 1 | 40.020 August | 8.0× |
| BellevueWashington, United States | 1 | 39.620 August | 7.9× |
| Salmon CreekWashington, United States | 1 | 39.420 August | 7.9× |
| Forest GroveOregon, United States | 1 | 39.220 August | 7.8× |
| BeavertonOregon, United States | 1 | 39.020 August | 7.8× |
| PortlandOregon, United States | 1 | 38.620 August | 7.7× |
| LangfordBritish Columbia, Canada | 4 | 38.220 August | 7.6× |
| SeattleWashington, United States | 3 | 45.720 August | 7.4× |
| BurnabyBritish Columbia, Canada | 3 | 39.720 August | 7.4× |
| CentraliaWashington, United States | 1 | 36.720 August | 7.3× |
| VancouverWashington, United States | 1 | 36.020 August | 7.2× |
| AlbanyOregon, United States | 2 | 35.820 August | 7.2× |
| LangleyBritish Columbia, Canada | 4 | 35.925 August | 7.0× |
| Port CoquitlamBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 36.520 August | 7.0× |
| AbbotsfordBritish Columbia, Canada | 4 | 39.720 August | 7.0× |
| TigardOregon, United States | 1 | 40.320 August | 6.9× |
| Strawberry HillBritish Columbia, Canada | 3 | 36.726 August | 6.9× |
| SalemOregon, United States | 1 | 34.620 August | 6.9× |
| SacramentoCalifornia, United States | 2 | 35.330 August | 6.8× |
| Port AngelesWashington, United States | 2 | 33.920 August | 6.8× |
| WoodburnOregon, United States | 1 | 33.720 August | 6.7× |
| North VancouverBritish Columbia, Canada | 3 | 35.125 August | 6.6× |
| AirdrieAlberta, Canada | 1 | 58.53 September | 6.5× |
| CourtenayBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 32.427 August | 6.5× |
| Port AlberniBritish Columbia, Canada | 1 | 31.720 August | 6.3× |
| MilwaukieOregon, United States | 1 | 31.120 August | 6.2× |
| McMinnvilleOregon, United States | 1 | 30.620 August | 6.1× |
| NanaimoBritish Columbia, Canada | 1 | 30.227 August | 6.0× |
| DuncanBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 29.820 August | 6.0× |
| LongviewWashington, United States | 1 | 29.720 August | 5.9× |
| HarewoodBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 29.627 August | 5.9× |
| VictoriaBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 32.526 August | 5.8× |
| DallasOregon, United States | 1 | 29.020 August | 5.8× |
| ModestoCalifornia, United States | 2 | 34.030 August | 5.8× |
| TracyCalifornia, United States | 1 | 28.630 August | 5.7× |
| VancouverBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 30.226 August | 5.7× |
| WoodlandCalifornia, United States | 2 | 35.330 August | 5.7× |
| GaltCalifornia, United States | 2 | 31.130 August | 5.6× |
| DeltaBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 27.326 August | 5.5× |
| CorvallisOregon, United States | 1 | 27.220 August | 5.4× |
| BellinghamWashington, United States | 3 | 30.926 August | 5.4× |
| Santa RosaCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.830 August | 5.4× |
| MantecaCalifornia, United States | 1 | 32.730 August | 5.2× |
| LaceyWashington, United States | 1 | 25.720 August | 5.1× |
| StocktonCalifornia, United States | 2 | 33.430 August | 5.1× |
| Campbell RiverBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 25.526 August | 5.1× |
| ChicoCalifornia, United States | 1 | 32.129 August | 5.1× |
| RichmondBritish Columbia, Canada | 1 | 25.227 August | 5.0× |
| TurlockCalifornia, United States | 2 | 37.931 August | 5.0× |
| CalgaryAlberta, Canada | 2 | 62.73 September | 5.0× |
| Arden-ArcadeCalifornia, United States | 1 | 26.330 August | 4.8× |
| MercedCalifornia, United States | 2 | 32.031 August | 4.6× |
| OaklandCalifornia, United States | 1 | 25.530 August | 4.6× |
| Yuba CityCalifornia, United States | 1 | 30.830 August | 4.4× |
| HelenaMontana, United States | 1 | 41.117 August | 4.3× |
| LethbridgeAlberta, Canada | 1 | 39.817 August | 4.3× |
| San JoseCalifornia, United States | 2 | 29.031 August | 4.0× |
| Medicine HatAlberta, Canada | 1 | 32.317 August | 3.7× |
| ButteMontana, United States | 1 | 29.317 August | 3.5× |
| BoiseIdaho, United States | 1 | 29.319 August | 3.3× |
| MaderaCalifornia, United States | 2 | 26.031 August | 2.8× |
Daily means in µg/m³. Usual: the city's median for this time of year (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that.
Against other episodes in the United States and Canada
Number 5 of 45 episodes in the United States and Canada since our records began, by cities reached.
- North-eastern United States and Canada, June and July 2023279
- North-eastern United States and Canada, May and June 2023260
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2023241
- North-eastern United States and Canada, June 2023161
- North-western United States and Canada, August 2023110
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July 202375
- Western United States, September 202361
- South-eastern United States, October 202347
- North-eastern United States, July 202346
- North-western United States and Canada, May 202342
- Western United States, December 202332
- Northern United States, January 202332
Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 45.
Use this page
SmogRank, North-western United States and Canada, August 2023: 110 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 17 to 31 August 2023, smogrank.com/episodes/2023-08-north-western-united-states-and-canada (accessed 2 October 2026).
You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.
An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.