Wildfire Smoke to Blanket Central and Eastern US States by End of Week

Strategic Insights -

Air quality will deteriorate significantly in the coming days, with widespread smoke from Canadian wildfires reaching the US. By early Wednesday, air quality had reached unhealthy to very unhealthy levels in eastern Montana and North Dakota, leaving some of the worst air quality on the planet. This area of reduced air quality will spread to Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan later in the day, affecting multiple states. The worst smog conditions are expected to persist through the end of the week, as a high-pressure system near the East Coast causes air to stagnate and prevents winds from dispersing the smoke.

Key Takeaways:

  • More than 8 million acres have already burned in Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.
  • The area of reduced air quality will spread to Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by late Wednesday.
  • Air quality was moderate to locally unhealthy across many Plains and Midwestern states, with low-level smoke forecast to spread eastward Wednesday afternoon and evening.
  • The incoming high-pressure system near the East Coast will keep smoky skies in the forecast through the end of the week.
  • Average smoke concentrations in the Northeast this June have been the third highest since records began in 2003.
  • In the Midwest, atmospheric smoke concentrations have been 60 percent higher than normal.
  • The smoke plume has already reached central parts of Russia, around 6,000 miles from its origin in Canada.

Statistics:

  • 8 million acres have burned in Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.
  • Air quality levels were unhealthy to very unhealthy in eastern Montana and North Dakota on Wednesday.
  • The area of reduced air quality will spread to affect more than 15 states.
  • Average smoke concentrations in the Northeast this June have been the third highest since records began in 2003.
  • In the Midwest, atmospheric smoke concentrations have been 60 percent higher than normal.
  • The smoke plume has traveled over 6,000 miles from its origin in Canada.

Sources:

  • "Where skies will be smoky" in a recent article by Ben Noll
  • Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center
  • National Weather Service
  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)