Smoke from Canada’s devastating wildfires has once again descended on major cities in the Northeast.
As smoke drifted across the Northeast Coast on Thursday, the sky appeared yellow and hazy, evoking fears of last year’s wildfire.
In a statement posted on X.com, the National Weather Service wrote:
‘Today, the sky may be cloudy. This is due to the smoke from the forest fires, which has spread across the entire area from north to south.’
Smoke from the devastating Canadian wildfires has once again descended on major cities in the Northeast
“We expect this to continue for the next few days. We do not expect any detrimental impacts on air quality at this time,” they added.
Smoke is forecast to affect a wide range of cities, including New York, Washington DC, Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia.
Ben Noll, a meteorologist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, posted a graphic depicting the smoke’s path.
The image shows wavy green streaks representing smoke moving northeast.
Ben Noll, a meteorologist at the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, posted a graphic depicting the smoke’s path.
‘It’s back: Smoke from Canadian wildfires will increase its coverage across the Northeast today,’ Noll wrote.
“Hazy skies are likely in the afternoon and evening from New York to Boston and points north,” he continued, adding that “smoke will remain prominent through the weekend.”
The NWS has urged people sensitive to poor air quality to “consider keeping outdoor activities light and short.”
High atmospheric pressure is driving smoke over Canada and up the East Coast.
As smoke drifted across the northeast coast, the sky appeared yellowish and hazy, evoking fears of last year’s wildfire.
Dave Dombek, a prominent meteorologist for AccuWeatherInc., said The Philadelphia Inquirer that the source of the smoke had been identified about 2,500 miles away in the forests of Alberta, where approximately 140,000 acres were burning last week.
The wind initially pushed the smoke toward northeastern Canada, before shifting and heading south toward the northeastern United States.
According to information released by the Canadian government on August 7, there are currently 155 wildfires burning out of control, in addition to the 297 that are controlled or contained.
In early June 2023, wildfires swept across Canada, burning a swath of land larger than West Virginia.
Last year, smoke from wildfires blanketed the skies across the northeastern United States, affecting air quality in several cities.
Smoke from the wildfires has blanketed skies across the northeastern United States, worsening air quality in several cities.
Experts have been quick to reassure people that this year’s smoke will not pose as serious a threat.
“It’s a very different situation,” Dombek told the Researcher.
This is because the smoke has remained in the middle and upper levels of the atmosphere and has not descended to the levels we breathe.