Throw open those windows! At least for now.

After days living with some of the worst air quality in the nation, Portlanders can now breathe easier.

Air-quality monitors around the Portland metro area on Friday morning are all in the “good” category thanks to the arrival of winds and cooler temperatures.

This is a dramatic improvement from Thursday and much of the week, when the air was so smoky that health officials recommended residents keep their windows closed, use high-efficiency filters in indoor ventilation systems and avoid spending time outside.

Better yet, rain is finally headed our way, with a decent soaking expected Friday.

None of this necessarily means the bad air is gone for good. The nearby Nakia Creek fire in Clark County is still burning.

And while the Portland metro area and upper Willamette Valley are no longer under an air-quality advisory, intermittent smoke from the Nakia Creek fire as well as the Cedar Creek fire near Oakridge may still generate some haze in the vicinity.

Deschutes County and eastern Lane County aren’t as lucky. They will remain under an air-quality advisory through the weekend because of the Cedar Creek fire, said officials with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

You can track the air quality in your neighborhood at AirNow, a federal measuring site.

Check current conditions on the Oregon Smoke Information Blog, DEQ’s Air Quality Index, or by downloading the free OregonAIR app on your smartphone.

— Douglas Perry; dperry@oregonian.com