PENDLETON — Air quality the morning of Friday, Aug. 13, in Eastern Oregon ranged from unhealthy for sensitive groups to plain unhealthy. But the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality reported the local lower air quality should not last long.

The DEQ’s online map of air quality monitoring data showed Hermiston’s air quality index was 152, just edging into the range for unhealthy. That was a slight improvement from Aug. 14, when Hermiston’s air quality reached 157.

Pendleton’s air quality index was 130 and La Grande’s was 133 during the morning of Aug. 13, both at the upper end of being unhealthy for sensitive groups. Pendleton’s air quality the day before peaked at 155, reaching the unhealthy level. La Grande’s the day before peaked at 117, still unhealthy for sensitive groups.

The DEQ on Aug. 10 issued an air quality advisory for Southern Oregon and eastern Lane and Linn counties due to smoke from wildfires in the Oregon Cascades and Northern California. The state’s environmental arm reported the advisory would be in effect until at least the afternoon of Aug. 13 and other areas, including Northeastern Oregon, could “experience intermittent periods of smoke and haze, but likely won’t experience prolonged periods of unhealthy smoke.”

Cole Evans, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pendleton, said smoke and haze from regional wildfires probably are going to stick around through the weekend.

“We’re not really seeing any good change of a wind that will blow out the smoke until Monday or Tuesday,” he said.

The National Weather Service was forecasting hot temperatures through the weekend, with peaks coming Saturday of 104 in Pendleton and 107 in Hermiston. But Evans said the smoke and haze could decrease those highs.

To track air quality in Oregon, visit oraqi.deq.state.or.us/home/map.