Bay Area air quality forecast: dismal and worse

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 23: Smoke obscures the San Francisco skyline as motorist travel on the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. With over 500 wildfires burning throughout the state of California the skies in the Bay Area remain blanketed with smoke. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 22: Laurena Davis, of Vacaville, from left, her mother-in-law Marianne Spamer, of Martinez, and her husband Eric Spamer look into the distance towards San Francisco from Grizzly Peak Blvd. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. With over 500 wild fires burning in in California the Bay Area is inundated with unhealthy smoke. Currently the air quality index for Oakland is unhealthy at 157. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
HEALDSBURG, CA - AUGUST 21: The sun sets in the horizon seen thorough thick smoke by the LNU Lightning Complex fire as continues burning vegetation in Healdsburg, Calif., on Friday, Aug., 21, 2020. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - AUGUST 23: Smoke obscures the San Francisco skyline as a sailboat sails in the waters of the bay in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. With over 500 wildfires burning throughout the state of California the skies in the Bay Area remain blanketed with smoke. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CRUZ, CA - AUGUST 22: Rod Rondeaux looks skyward through thick smoke from the CZU August Lightning Complex fire on Empire Grade in Santa Cruz, Calif., Saturday, Aug., 22, 2020. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
LAFAYETTE, CA - AUGUST 22: Traffic on Highway 24 moves smoothly as motorist travel through a thick cloud of smoke in Lafayette, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. With over 500 wild fires burning in in California the Bay Area is inundated with unhealthy smoke. Currently the air quality index for Lafayette is unhealthy at 104. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Smoke from wildfires obscures the sky as a man walks past a statue of former San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marichal outside of Oracle Park before a baseball game between the Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks in San Francisco, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group
SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA - AUGUST 21: Smoke rises from the CZU August Lightning Complex fire burning behind Davenport, Calif., in a view from Pigeon Point, Friday morning, Aug., 21, 2020. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
WALNUT CREEK, CA - AUGUST 22: Traffic on Highway 24 moves smoothly as motorist travel through a thick cloud of smoke in Walnut Creek, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. With over 500 wild fires burning in in California the Bay Area is inundated with unhealthy smoke. Currently the air quality index for Walnut Creek is unhealthy at 196. From this view Mount Diablo would be easily seen in the distance. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
Smoke from north bay fires blanket the sky over San Rafael on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)
Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group
OAKLAND, CA - AUGUST 22: View of downtown Oakland obscured by smoke as seen from Grizzly Peak Blvd. in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020. With over 500 wild fires burning in in California the Bay Area is inundated with unhealthy smoke. Currently the air quality index for Oakland is unhealthy at 157. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
NAPA, CA - AUGUST 20: A rabbit sculpture stands at Hall winery in Napa, Calif., as smoke from the LNU Lightning Complex fire moves over Napa County on Thursday, Aug., 20, 2020. (Ray Chavez/Bay Area News Group)
ORINDA, CA - AUGUST 23: Motorist drive through smoke on Highway 24 in Orinda, Calif., on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2020. With over 500 wildfires burning throughout the state of California the skies in the Bay Area remain blanketed with smoke. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CRUZ, CA - AUGUST 22: PG&E crews are barely visible through the thick smoke working on Empire Grade in Santa Cruz, Calif., as the CZU August Lightning Complex fire burns, Saturday, Aug., 22, 2020. (Karl Mondon/Bay Area News Group)
A Marin County Parks worker watches smoke from the Woodward Fire rise above a ridge line near Olema on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. (Sherry LaVars/Marin Independent Journal)

By Louis Hansen | Bay Area News Group

PUBLISHED: August 22, 2020 at 5:54 p.m. | UPDATED: August 23, 2020 at 3:57 p.m.

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Raging wildfires and high temperatures are expected to choke the Bay Area with unhealthy air through at least Wednesday.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District on Saturday issued a Spare the Air alert through the weekend, banning wood and other fuel fires.

The forecast calls for unhealthy outdoor conditions for sensitive groups in most of the Bay Area, and unhealthy conditions for all residents in the Santa Clara Valley and much of the East Bay. The worst conditions are expected in San Jose and much of the Alameda and Contra Costa counties through Wednesday, according to the agency.

Smoke and particulate pollution have surged through the region from major wildfires, and air quality is not expected to improve to a moderate risk until Thursday, forecasters said. Officials encourage people to limit time spent outdoors.

The National Weather Service has also issued a red flag warning Sunday and Monday for Northern California. The warning comes as dry thunderstorms are expected to strike Sunday, with little rain in the forecast.

The warning means weather may set off extreme fire behavior within 24 hours, according to Cal Fire.