Smoke began creeping into the Willamette Valley Friday afternoon from wildfires burning to the southeast.

But residents aren’t in for a repeat of last September, when heavy smoke settled in the region for days.

Rain and thunderstorms are predicted tonight in parts of the valley, which will knock out some of the smoke, said John Bumgardner, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Portland.

And winds will become westerly beginning Sunday, pushing out even more by bringing clear air from over the ocean.

Most of the smoke is coming from the Bootleg fire, Bumgardner said. The smoke is visible on satellite from Eugene to Portland, and heaviest in the south valley.

Interactive map: See smoke and wildfires burning across Oregon

The Bootleg fire is burning in the Fremont-Winema National Forest in Southern Oregon, 28 miles northeast of Klamath Falls.

The good news is that the smoke could knock the temperature down a degree or two from the predicted high of 103 degrees in Salem, Bumgardner said.

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality monitors show that air quality still was considered good in most valley locations Friday afternoon. 

Hot conditions:Cooling shelters open in Salem area as temperatures near 100

The Oregon Health Authority offers recommendations for staying safe during smoke events:

Tracy Loew is a reporter at the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at tloew@statesmanjournal.com, 503-399-6779 or on Twitter at @Tracy_Loew. Support local journalism by subscribing to the Statesman Journal.