How Long Will The Bay Area's Smoky Skies Linger?

BAY AREA, CA — The hellish glow seen Wednesday in Bay Area skies has subsided, but poor air quality and smoky skies remain. And they're probably here to stay for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service.

While it might not look like you're on Mars anymore, air quality has actually worsened. Smoke hovered above a marine layer Wednesday, but smoke began to mix with the marine layer and fog Thursday, according to NWS.

Air quality across the Bay Area ranged Thursday afternoon from unhealthy to moderate — meaning people sensitive to air particles should limit time outside — on the Air Quality Index, according to AirNow.

SEE: Ominous Bay Area Skies Darkened By Smoke Amid Wildfires

Satellite images show a mass of smoke hovering over the West Coast, blowing toward Hawaii.

There should be very little change in smoke level until the early hours of Friday morning, NWS said.

Smoke is coming from wildfires burning across the Golden State. This year has seen six wildfires in the top 20 largest California wildfires, according to Cal Fire.

That includes the:

• August Complex fires in Tehama County (#1)
• SCU Lightning Complex fires in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin, Santa Clara and Stanislaus counties (#3)
• LNU Lightning Complex fires in Lake, Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Yolo counties (#4)
• Elkhorn fires in Humboldt, Tehama and Trinity counties (#9)
• North Complex fires in Plumas County (#10)
• Creek Fire in Fresno and Madera counties (#17)

The sea breeze was weaker than expected Wednesday, according to NWS, and the same behavior was forecast Thursday.

CA Fires Map: 12 Dead; 3.1M Acres Burned; 3,900 Structures Lost