Hazy skies and a below-normal air quality was present for much of the Permian Basin early Wednesday, as the cold front moved through.
This was due to northerly winds pushing in smoke from the Panhandle where multiple wildfires were raging, including the second largest fire in Texas history, the Smokehouse Creek Fire. This fire has burned through roughly 850,000 acres of grassland and is only 3% contained as of 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Smoke from this fire, along with several other smaller ones, has kept Midland's air quality in the moderate category through most of Wednesday.
The Permian Basin's air quality is expected to improve Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. This is mostly due to winds from the south pushing the smoke back up to the northern Panhandle.
Light rain Wednesday night should also help improve the air, as precipitation washes smoke and smog out of the atmosphere and onto the surface.
The air quality in Midland is expected to return back to the "good" category on Thursday, which represents normal conditions. Poor air quality conditions will spread north of the fires, stretching into Kansas and Nebraska through the rest of the week.
Until we see air conditions return to normal, it's recommended that residents with sensitive respiratory systems remain indoors or wear a mask outdoors.
However, for the vast majority of the Permian Basin population, it should be safe to go outdoors especially as conditions improve.