Anchorage, Alaska, shrouded by one of longest smoke events in history

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

The first ever Dense Smoke Advisory has been issued for the Anchorage area as the massive Swan Lake Fire burns south of the city. The city will face more smoke and record heat this week.

Smoke from the blaze has been covering the Anchorage area since the early morning hours of Thursday.

The smoke is streaming in from the Swan Lake Fire, which has charred more than 70,000 acres on the Kenai Peninsula since being ignited by lightning on June 5.

The fire was 15 percent contained as of early Monday morning, according to Inciweb.

A smoky scene was viewed by those looking toward Suicide Peaks in the Chugach Mountains from the McHugh Ridge on Saturday, June 29, 2019. (Twitter/@Souldotna)

The city's international airport registered its second longest duration of an observation of smoke with visibility at or below six miles since 1960, according to Climatologist Brian Brettschneider.

The record is 119 hours from 2004. The current stretch ended at 74 hours as of 3 p.m. local time Sunday.

The National Weather Service office in Anchorage issued the first ever Dense Smoke Advisory for the region on Saturday afternoon.

Air quality was listed at good levels on Sunday night as the worst of the smoke had cleared.

The improved air quality may continue in the Anchorage area on Monday as winds direct the smoke toward the eastern and southern Kenai Peninsula.

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Dense smoke is seen early in the morning around Seward, Alaska, on Monday July 1, 2019. (Photo/Federal Aviation Administration)

That will not mean an end to smoke problems for Anchorage. Winds may not be strong enough to sweep all of the smoke away from Anchorage to start July.

"Fluctuating winds can spread smoke back to Anchorage at times this week," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson.

Residents, especially those with respiratory issues, the elderly and children, should be prepared to take the necessary steps to protect against smoke inhalation.

Any smoke can then get trapped near the surface as a strong area of high pressure is set to build back overhead late in the week. Air quality can worsen amid the stagnant conditions.

This will also send temperatures soaring back to or above 80 F. Daily record highs will be challenged. It is possible that Anchorage flirts with the all-time record high of 86 F later this week if a significant amount of smoke is absent.

A weather pattern similar to what is expected later this week caused Anchorage to endure its hottest day in three years on Saturday as temperatures soared to 82 F.

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