Nevada wildfire smoke forecast

The map shows NOAA HRRR-Smoke near-surface PM2.5 for the next 48 hours, updated hourly, with active fire perimeters from NIFC and live AQI from EPA AirNow monitors. It opens over Las Vegas. Search any town or use the buttons above.

Almost all of Nevada's worst smoke is imported from California. Reno and Carson City sit immediately east of the Sierra Nevada, so any fire on the west slope or in the Tahoe basin puts smoke over them within hours once the flow turns westerly, and the Truckee Meadows then traps it under an overnight inversion. Las Vegas is far enough south that it usually gets a thinner, higher layer from California and Arizona fires, though Spring Mountains fires put smoke directly into the valley.

Use the layer toggle to compare NOAA HRRR-Smoke with the ECCC FireWork model. When the two disagree, treat the higher reading as the cautious call.

Near-surface is the product that maps to what you breathe and to AQI, not the high-altitude column that only tints the sunset.