SmogRank / Episodes / United States
North-western United States and Canada, July and August 2026
For 16 days, from 20 July to 4 August 2026, 66 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: 146.0 µg/m³ on 31 July, about 13× its usual 11.0.
Day by day
How it spread
Every city it reached
| City | Days | Highest | Above usual |
|---|---|---|---|
| WenatcheeWashington, United States | 4 | 204.04 August | 41× |
| Twin FallsIdaho, United States | 6 | 121.027 July | 18× |
| Walla WallaWashington, United States | 7 | 108.05 August | 18× |
| YakimaWashington, United States | 1 | 100.04 August | 18× |
| KamloopsBritish Columbia, Canada | 5 | 191.07 August | 17× |
| The DallesOregon, United States | 2 | 83.86 August | 17× |
| VernonBritish Columbia, Canada | 6 | 122.06 August | 17× |
| EllensburgWashington, United States | 2 | 84.04 August | 15× |
| Spokane ValleyWashington, United States | 5 | 123.017 July | 15× |
| ChilliwackBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 81.55 August | 15× |
| PascoWashington, United States | 1 | 71.34 August | 14× |
| Tri-CitiesWashington, United States | 4 | 70.64 August | 14× |
| PendletonOregon, United States | 9 | 86.35 August | 14× |
| BoiseIdaho, United States | 13 | 93.327 July | 14× |
| NampaIdaho, United States | 13 | 119.027 July | 14× |
| BendOregon, United States | 3 | 64.14 August | 13× |
| KelownaBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 82.423 July | 12× |
| RedmondOregon, United States | 5 | 79.323 July | 12× |
| Moses LakeWashington, United States | 5 | 85.14 August | 12× |
| HermistonOregon, United States | 3 | 66.16 August | 12× |
| Idaho FallsIdaho, United States | 2 | 71.127 July | 11× |
| SpokaneWashington, United States | 6 | 98.117 July | 11× |
| Coeur d'AleneIdaho, United States | 2 | 97.817 July | 11× |
| CranbrookBritish Columbia, Canada | 4 | 84.27 August | 11× |
| AirdrieAlberta, Canada | 8 | 85.024 July | 11× |
| Red DeerAlberta, Canada | 6 | 99.424 July | 10× |
| SunnysideWashington, United States | 2 | 76.84 August | 10× |
| AbbotsfordBritish Columbia, Canada | 2 | 50.15 August | 10× |
| PocatelloIdaho, United States | 3 | 59.227 July | 9.7× |
| LethbridgeAlberta, Canada | 6 | 86.22 August | 9.3× |
| ButteMontana, United States | 3 | 59.87 August | 8.9× |
| CalgaryAlberta, Canada | 9 | 91.324 July | 8.1× |
| Sherwood ParkAlberta, Canada | 4 | 74.621 July | 8.0× |
| LoganUtah, United States | 3 | 38.43 August | 7.7× |
| MissoulaMontana, United States | 7 | 49.43 August | 7.4× |
| PullmanWashington, United States | 8 | 52.86 August | 7.0× |
| MeridianIdaho, United States | 3 | 59.23 August | 7.0× |
| St. AlbertAlberta, Canada | 4 | 59.821 July | 6.6× |
| ArvadaColorado, United States | 2 | 39.64 August | 6.0× |
| Cañon CityColorado, United States | 1 | 33.34 August | 5.9× |
| LewistonIdaho, United States | 11 | 51.97 August | 5.9× |
| BozemanMontana, United States | 1 | 44.87 August | 5.9× |
| LittletonColorado, United States | 1 | 29.14 August | 5.8× |
| EdmontonAlberta, Canada | 4 | 76.321 July | 5.8× |
| PuebloColorado, United States | 1 | 28.14 August | 5.6× |
| CasperWyoming, United States | 1 | 29.03 August | 5.5× |
| Swift CurrentSaskatchewan, Canada | 7 | 51.624 July | 5.4× |
| Fort CollinsColorado, United States | 2 | 35.33 August | 5.3× |
| Ken CarylColorado, United States | 1 | 28.54 August | 5.3× |
| Medicine HatAlberta, Canada | 8 | 51.32 August | 5.2× |
| MoscowIdaho, United States | 5 | 46.57 August | 5.1× |
| BoulderColorado, United States | 2 | 32.33 August | 5.0× |
| BillingsMontana, United States | 3 | 36.63 August | 5.0× |
| Colorado SpringsColorado, United States | 1 | 30.74 August | 4.9× |
| GilletteWyoming, United States | 1 | 35.23 August | 4.8× |
| WindsorColorado, United States | 2 | 28.84 August | 4.7× |
| HelenaMontana, United States | 3 | 41.227 July | 4.6× |
| DenverColorado, United States | 1 | 29.54 August | 4.5× |
| West JordanUtah, United States | 1 | 35.93 August | 4.4× |
| LongmontColorado, United States | 2 | 31.43 August | 4.3× |
| ThorntonColorado, United States | 1 | 31.84 August | 4.3× |
| SheridanWyoming, United States | 1 | 31.23 August | 4.0× |
| Great FallsMontana, United States | 6 | 48.427 July | 3.8× |
| GreeleyColorado, United States | 1 | 26.04 August | 3.7× |
| Rapid CitySouth Dakota, United States | 1 | 28.73 August | 3.2× |
| ReginaSaskatchewan, Canada | 2 | 35.92 August | 2.7× |
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 15 of 106 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, July 2026264
- North-eastern United States and Canada, May and June 2023260
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July and August 2025241
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2023241
- North-eastern United States and Canada, June 2025196
- North-eastern United States and Canada, June 2023161
- North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2025119
- North-western United States and Canada, August 2023110
- North-eastern United States, June 2025104
- North-western United States and Canada, August 202699
- North-eastern United States and Canada, February 202696
- North-western United States and Canada, July and August 202666
Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 106.
Use this page
SmogRank, North-western United States and Canada, July and August 2026: 66 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 20 July to 4 August 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-07-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.