Mount St. Helens is not erupting — but wind is stirring up ash from the 1980 eruption, the USGS says

CASCADES VOLCANO OBSERVATORY — 'First, Mt. Saint Helens is NOT erupting.' That was the message from the National Weather Service office in Portland this morning. NWS says volcanic ash from when Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980 is being lofted back into the air from the strong east winds. USGS posted in a notice:

Strong easterly–southeasterly winds in the vicinity of Mount St. Helens have picked up loose volcanic ash deposited during the 1980 eruptions and are carrying it to the west–northwest. The resuspended ash has been reported by commercial pilots in the area. This phenomenon is not the result of recent volcanic activity and occasionally occurs during times of high winds and dry snow-free conditions in the Mount St. Helens area. No eruption is in progress and Mount St.