Canada wildfire smoke reignites U.S. air quality concerns
Remember the thick smoke that blanketed parts of the U.S. in 2023? Wildfires are once again burning in Canada, and some of that smoke is now making its way south.
Smoky conditions can be expected in parts of the north-central U.S. as smoke from Canada is blown to the southeast by steering winds.
After a quiet stretch during much of 2024, wildfire smoke from Canada is once again drifting into the United States. This time, AccuWeather meteorologists say that smoke will drift through parts of the Midwest over several days and can be thick enough in some areas to raise health and travel concerns.
Several large active wildfires have been burning from British Columbia to Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Canada. The majority of the fires were believed to be man-made and have prompted major evacuations.
"Many of the fires were started by human activity, such as debris burning near cabins, carelessness with ATVs and UTVs in dry grass, picnics and firepits placed in dry areas, and general inattention to fire conditions," according to Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency Vice President of Operations Steve Roberts.
Steering winds have begun to direct the smoke southeastward. The smoke entered parts of the northern Plains and Midwest even the Southeast.
"Most of the time, the smoke will be high-flying and dim the sun, leading to vivid sunrises and sunsets and causing a hazy appearance to the sky overhead," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said.
"However, there will be episodes where the smoke can reach the lower levels of the atmosphere and affect visibility and air quality," Buckingham added. "That could be a safety concern for travel in extreme cases and pose health problems for some individuals with respiratory issues."
The major cities where the smoke is most likely to thicken enough to be noticeable will be in Fargo, North Dakota; Minneapolis and Duluth, Minnesota; Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Chicago; and perhaps as far to the south and east as Detroit and Indianapolis.
Some high-flying smoke can occur as far as Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia.
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As heat builds in from the western U.S. this week, the hot air and any lingering smoke can lead to ozone issues over a broad area of the north-central region, Buckingham added.
"Most of these areas in the Midwest will have days where there is little or no rain around and the sun is out over the weekend. So the smoke will be more noticeable," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty said. "The smoke may reach into the Northeast in waves as well, but when and where extensive clouds and showers occur, such as this weekend, the smoky haze may be mixed in and not so obvious."
A man pauses to look at the smoke and haze shrouding One World Trade Center building in New York City, Wednesday, June 7, 2023. Intense Canadian wildfires are blanketing the northeastern U.S. in a haze, turning the air acrid and the sky yellowish gray. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)
During the spring and summer of 2023, smoke from large wildfires in Quebec and Ontario was significant across the northeastern U.S. There were multiple days when the smoke was thick and hazardous in New York City.
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