WENATCHEE — A Stage 1 burn ban is still in effect as an inversion and stagnant air is forecast to continue for all of North Central Washington at least until Tuesday.

Under a Stage 1 ban, all outdoor burning and the use of uncertified wood-burning devices is prohibited, unless it is a home’s major source of heat.

“The inversion is going to hang pretty tough,” Bob Tobin, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Spokane, said this morning.

He said some ridgetop winds may allow fresh air to mix with valley air. “But it probably won’t mix out at all, and if it does, it’s going to be brief,” he said.

Tobin said Wenatchee is likely to remain overcast, with dense fog, and little chance of seeing any sunshine. “But if you get up into the mountains a little, it’s going to be really sunny,” he said.

A cold front is expected to move into the region on Tuesday, which could provide some relief from the stagnant air.

Air quality was good this morning in Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Okanogan and Twisp, according to monitors on Ecology’s website.

But that may only be a short-term gain, as pollution from woodsmoke is likely to remain trapped in the valleys with the strong inversion throughout the region, said Ecology spokesman Seth Preston.

— K.C. Mehaffey, World staff