walla walla dust/air pollution (Pacific: low crime, schools, allergies)

[rjaajr]

I am seriously considering moving to Walla Walla and the biggest concern is finding out if there is any air quality problems for someone with allergies and sensitive to pollution. The area looks great from the pics and I get the sense from reading on various sites that it is a nice small town with low crime. Specifically, does WW get many dust storms (sensitive to dust)? How often and duration, how many days a year can you smell or see dust in the air? Is there wood smoke hanging in the air in the winter? I didn't realize that was an issue for me until I lived in Salem, OR in the past and noticed sinus headaches in valley areas there. How many days a year do they notice smoke from forest fires? How many days a year is there smoke in the air from the burning of the fields? Would also like to know if there is much ragweed there and do people with allergies report it hard on them in spring and fall (more so than other locations). I am a professional person with a family, grew up in small town Iowa and miss open spaces and small town living, we love a relatively mild but varied 4 season climate. In the south now and want to leave oppressive heat/high humidity and poor schools behind. Enjoyed travelling through Pacific NW also. Thanks in advance....
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[Old Monkey]

Walla Walla is not the best place for someone with dust allergies. Due to the combination of an arid desert climate, high winds, and ancient glacier movements, the area sits on loess soil. It is silty--almost like extra fine flour.

The wind -- even a light breeze -- blows a fine powder over the entire place and it gets on everything. When I lived there, I could barely wear contact lenses in the summer months, the dust was so irritating. It's reasonably tolerable during the winter months, but really can be miserable during hot summers.

More positively, even though W2 is in a valley, it suffers from little to no (man-made) air pollution.

[rjaajr]

That you for the feedback, it is very appreciated.