What Happened to Bogus Basin? It’s Not There Anymore!

idahostatesman.com

While that photo above isn’t the same view I have of Bogus Basin in the winter, I am able to see it through the barren neighborhood trees while standing in my backyard. Maybe some of the pines are highlighted in green, although most will be solid white right after a nice snowfall. And at night, the lights shining the way of some runs form a nice curvy line. Bogus is a great activity to have so close to town in Boise.

Even in the summer we are able to see Bogus Basin, no snow of course. But the two peaks are there, distinct and clear.

That is for most of the time. I can’t see Bogus Basin now; there is too much smoke and haze in the air that is blocking the view.

forecast.weather.gov

The forecast above is from yesterday, but the solid line of Haze is telling of why I can’t see Bogus Basin now. There are times in the winter when we’re not able to see Bogus, but that is because we are having in inversion layer of high pressure that pushes the clouds down and holds them in place — thus blocking our views of the beautiful mountains. In fact, I’ve been at Bogus Basin in the winter when there is an inversion over the city — it is clearer up there and warmer than in town where the cold air is being held in by the high pressure system.

Fires near Idahogacc.nifc.gov

The fire map above from the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center shows the major fires that are currently burning in Oregon and Washington. It is the smoke from these fires that is causing the haze coming into the western parts of Idaho, including Boise.

How Bad is the Air Quality?

iqair.com

The current (as of this article) Air Quality in Boise is in the Moderate Range with a reading of 95 on the Air Quality Index.

iqair.com

You can see, however, that cities near fires in California, as well as Idaho cities that are farther north and closer to the southern Washington fires have a much higher air quality index level. One question that always comes up in situations like this is “What can we do with these conditions?”

The best thing to do is to stay indoors with the windows closed and an air condition system that is running with a clean filter. The filter helps to pull out particulates in the air that will seep into the house through normal opening of doors, perhaps if the windows aren’t properly sealed, or even through vents and pipes that are supposed to take air out of the house.

So What is the Air Quality Index?

Air Quality Index Ratingsairnow.gov

The chart above shows the six levels of air quality from good (Green) to Hazardous (Maroon). The current Boise reading of 95 technically indicates that “Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.” However it is close enough to the Orange level at 101 (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) which is, “Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.” And this is the level that we are expected to be at in the 130 range for Tuesday and Wednesday, July 13 and 14.

It’s summer, and it is so tempting to want to go out and do outside activities. But with the heat and the air quality level, it is advisable to limit those activities or even avoid them completely. there have been some first started through lightning strikes in Idaho, and once they get closer to Boise, we can expect to go from Orange “Moderate” (AQI 101-150) to Red “Unhealthy (151-200).

Let’s hope we have a good summer this year, one without too many forest fires.

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