A motorist exits onto Valley View Drive from U.S. 95 as smoky skies cloud the Las Vegas Strip skyline on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. Smoky skies due to wildfires in Northern California prompted the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability to issue an alert for smoke and ozone Saturday. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt
Traffic moves along US 95 while smoky skies cloud the downtown skyline on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. Smoky skies due to wildfires in Northern California prompted the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability to issue an alert for smoke and ozone Saturday. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt
Pedestrians walk through Fremont Street Experience while smoky skies cloud the STRAT on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. Smoky skies due to wildfires in Northern California prompted the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability to issue an alert for smoke and ozone Saturday. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt
An RTC bus travels on North 4th Street while the STRAT is clouded by smoky skies on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. Smoky skies due to wildfires in Northern California prompted the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability to issue an alert for smoke and ozone Saturday. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt
A pedestrian crosses North 4th Street while the STRAT is clouded by smoky skies on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. Smoky skies due to wildfires in Northern California prompted the Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability to issue an alert for smoke and ozone Saturday. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt
Planes move along the tarmac at McCarran International Airport with wildfire smoke drifting into the region from Northern California fires on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
A Southwest Airlines plane prepares to take off as others move along the tarmac at McCarran International Airport with wildfire smoke drifting into the region from Northern California fires on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
The Mandalay Bay and New York-New York with others covered by wildfire smoke drifting into the region from Northern California fires on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
The Strat covered in wildfire smoke drifting into the region from Northern California fires on Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021, in Las Vegas. (L.E. Baskow/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @Left_Eye_Images
The Strip is seen through a haze of smoke in Las Vegas, Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021. The Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability has issued an alert for smoke and ozone for Saturday. (Chitose Suzuki / Las Vegas Review-Journal) @chitosephoto
Smoke and haze from Northern California wildfires are moderating in the Las Vegas Valley sky on Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.
Unhealthy air conditions on Saturday have been replaced with air quality ratings of moderate from air monitoring sites across much of the northern half of the metropolitan area to good air ratings for the southern half of the valley.
“It’s much better today than it was yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today,” weather service meteorologist Ashley Nickerson said about 2:30 p.m. Sunday. “The North Las Vegas Airport shows smoke in the sky, but none of the others do.”
The Clark County Department of Environment and Sustainability had extended its alert for smoke and ozone to include Sunday.
Winds have become lighter, Nickerson said, meaning less smoke is coming into the valley from the north. She said smoke and haze was a much bigger factor in central Nevada.
Smoke is made of small dust particles and other pollutants that can aggravate respiratory diseases and contribute to ground-level ozone formation. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, people who may be most sensitive to elevated levels of particulates and ozone include individuals with respiratory problems, cardiac disease, young children or senior citizens. Such residents should limit their exposure to outdoor elements.
Exposure to ozone can induce coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath even in healthy people. A seasonal ozone advisory is in effect.
More westerly winds will replace north-northwest winds that have been pushing smoke into the valley.
The Monday forecast calls for widespread haze before noon. Conditions will be sunny and hot, with a high near 107. South southwest winds will be 9 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph.
