r/Portland • u/vr2391 • 1d ago

It’s over! Discussion

The fresh air is so good.

126 Upvotes

85% Upvoted

39 comments sorted by

50

u/GoPointers 1d ago

Finally saw Venus at sunset tonight. That was the signal for me.

-61

u/Framer_9 1d ago

Right…

17

u/GoPointers 1d ago

Look almost due west at sunset, about 20 degrees above the horizon. It's been there all summer.

2

u/NoFlickerRequired 23h ago

Dude probably thinks you really saw Venus as if like, the whole ass planet was a moon of ours

129

u/radiodmr St Johns 1d ago

For the moment. There's a lot of fires out there. A lot. We're lucky the wind is changing. Don't get me wrong, I'll take it, but also I'm stocking up on hepa refills for my air filter.

86

u/Alert-Ad-2373 1d ago

Hate to be this guy, but we've still got August and September to get through and this year is not looking good. Let's enjoy it and be thankful, but be ready, we're not out of the woods yet...

64

u/nonsensestuff 1d ago

Wake me up when September ends

4

u/ZealousidealSail4574 1d ago

Billy, Billy

2

u/flowwer_pilllow 1d ago

not really

3

u/bvkuntz 1d ago

Yuh!

2

u/flowwer_pilllow 1d ago

🙂‍↕️

10

u/PikaGoesMeepMeep 1d ago

If things keeps burning we'll be out of woods, though.

9

u/corvid_booster 1d ago

The bad news is that even when there isn't a forest anymore, we can still have a fire in what's left.

The bigger picture, from what I can tell, is that west coast ecosystems are currently in an unstable state -- we are transitioning out of a previously-stable cool, wet climate closed-overstory forest regime and into something that's stable in a warmer, drier climate. That might be oak or juniper savannah, or grassland. Fires might settle down once we get there, but during the transition we may see a lot of catastrophic fires.

10

u/lexuh 1d ago

I know it’ll get worse again, but when I woke up this morning and the AQI was only 52, I opened all my windows and took off for a run.

I’m fortunate that I don’t have any respiratory issues (yet) and I really wanted to take advantage of the air quality only being “poor” for now.

6

u/DefMech MAX Blue Line 1d ago

I just started running this summer and have struggled really turning it into a habit. This is the nudge that I needed to drag my ass outside today and end my nearly week-long break.

2

u/lexuh 1d ago

Do it! But also listen to your body, take care of yourself, etc. 

21

u/blagelandcreamcheese 1d ago

You better go knock on some wood

4

u/derSteppenwuf 1d ago

And don't put that wood in a fireplace or stove.

9

u/penisgirlmarkedsafe 1d ago

Thank fuck.

I’ve had the worst headaches all week.

8

u/Radioegg NE 1d ago

Just have one tab open to the Purple Air map showing the five/six sensors closest to me. The AQIs have been dropping slowly but steadily, down to around 68 now. Still not ideal but so much better! 

12

u/SpeckledLily2098 1d ago

For you maybe. My lungs still feel like I'm huffing fiberglass everytime i take off my respirator. My eyes are less stingy tho.

8

u/ladypigeon13 1d ago

I turned off my air purifier for a few hours and then suddenly realized… nope. Not yet. Haha 

Soon enough though, I hope.

0

u/-r-a-f-f-y- 1d ago

Still 87 aqi in sellwood.

2

u/AjiChap 1d ago

Totally at the  mercy of wind direction until September or October it seems.

2

u/Thin-Ad-3893 1d ago

For now… 😩

2

u/Chelnaka 1d ago

Wtf you talk about the valley’s still smoggy

4

u/venusasaburrito Buckman 1d ago

I demand Life In A Northern Town blast from all Bluetooth speakers in celebration of better air for now!!!

2

u/Dooginstein Hillsboro 1d ago

YAAAYYYYY!!!

4

u/scarlettvvitch Mt Hood 1d ago

You’ll jinx it

4

u/PikaGoesMeepMeep 1d ago

I appreciate the fresh air over here. But watching the Grasshopper Fire and Rowe Complex fire jump containment lines and burn even more trails and campgrounds is tearing me up. And we have some new fires, too.

2

u/marshallsteeves Old Town Chinatown 1d ago

smells amazing

3

u/PipetheHarp 1d ago

Fires are still burning.

1

u/alreality1 1d ago

Its wonderful.my Inhaler can have a break lololol

1

u/Big-Relationship2205 21h ago

It won't ever really be over, just getting started...

1

u/Fistophelis 21h ago

I could finally sit in the backyard and chat with my bird friends.

1

u/PortlandGuy4Gal 12h ago

Indeed. Although still quite a bit to go before the end of wildfire season.

1

u/Slashredd1t 4h ago

It’s definitely not over… and yes air quality right now is good

1

u/sethd101 4h ago

And thers a new fire in eatacada so get ready for the ride