Tacoma’s Commencement Bay is changing color. So are sunsets. Here’s what is going on
It was hard to tell on Wednesday which was murkier in Pierce County: the skies or the water.
Wildfires burning in Alberta are pushing smoke into western Washington while unseasonably warm temperatures in the Cascades are sending sediment down the Puyallup River and into Commencement Bay.
Wildfires
While Mount Rainier was out Wednesday it appeared to be on a smoke break. The Canadian fires are layering smoke in the 10,000-15,000-foot range, said National Weather Service meteorologist Maddie Kristell
The good news is that air pollution is remaining comparatively better at sea level. Winds coming in from the Pacific should soon send the smoke on its way.
“By Friday it should be scooting out of here,” Kristell said.
Milky waters
The Puyallup River was the color of chocolate milk Wednesday afternoon. As sediment was filtering out, various parts of Commencement Bay looked white, blue and green.
Last weekend’s record-breaking heat wave accelerated glacial and snow melt on Mount Rainier and raised river levels. Further to the south on the slopes of Mount St. Helens, runoff demolished a highway bridge and trapped several motorists. They were later airlifted to safety.
Paradise was reporting a balmy 66 degrees late Wednesday afternoon. The warm weather should stick around through Saturday on the mountain with highs in the mid-60s.
Authorities in the area are reminding water lovers that ice-fed rivers remain just above freezing, even if the air temperature is summer-like.
This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 5:43 PM.
