When the big burst of bad air hit the East Coast from Canada wildfires, some thought it would be a once and done thing. The wind would take it.
But fires keep on roaring in several Canadian provinces–and now acrid air is once again creeping is way into the Continental United States.
There was an air quality alert issued on Saturday June 17 for several counties in Southeastern PA, including the cities of Allentown, Harrisburg, and Reading.
The code is ‘orange,’ or unhealthy for sensitive groups.
As of 7am on June 17, you can see low quality air sinking back into the Great Lakes area and Western PA:
The Department of Environmental Protection said, Due to lingering fine particulate matter (PM2.5) values across Quebec and Ontario, Canada, the daily average concentrations of fine particulate matter will be in the Code Orange range in our region on Saturday.
The orange warning on the color-coded scale used by the DEP and the federal Environmental Protection Agency indicates that air quality may be unhealthy for particularly vulnerable or sensitive people.
So how much longer will this constant threat last? While it is nothing like the oxygen massacre that took place days ago, it is worthwhile to note that as long as the fires continue to burn, and wind patterns are similar to what occurred previously, this may be an entire summer of anomalous weather.
The fires have burned the most land on record so early in the season — more than 4.7 million hectares (11.6 million acres). And already, even though the fire season is just underway, more area has burned than in all but three entire fire seasons since modern records began in 1983.
And it’s not just the East Coast. Smoke is making its hazy way into Tennessee this morning just in time for sunrise..
Wildfire season in Canada has not reached its peak yet. We may face a summer of dim sunlight.. Depressing, really. And sad seeing the destruction in Canada..
Just to showcase how powerful the smoke is–and how these wildfires historically have had a huge effect on weather, consider this: Ryan Hall, one of our favorite weather forecasters, had a video a few days ago about how the smoke was literally creating its own weather pattern.
It may be hot at times. But the fires along with an emerging super El Nino are about to have a consequence to our lives..
1816, also known as the ‘Year Without Summer,’ ‘Poverty Year,’ and ‘Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death. ‘ The eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia in 1815 triggered a change in the global climate. The heavier material fell to the ground and the ocean’s surface.
Smoke can change weather.
And even if it has no huge effect over the climate of our lives, it will sure make us hurt to breathe at times through the next several months..
