Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

These are the parts of the US set to see haze from Canadian wildfires this week

Hundreds of wildfires are burning in the western provinces of Canada

Ariana Baio
Monday 22 July 2024 19:24 BST
Comments
Western region of Canada is experiencing a wildfire outbreak which could cause smoke plumes to drift into the U.S.
Western region of Canada is experiencing a wildfire outbreak which could cause smoke plumes to drift into the U.S. (REUTERS)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

An outbreak of wildfires in the western region of Canada could cause hazy conditions and poor air quality for parts of the U.S. this week.

Though much more subdued than during last year’s wildfire season, hazy conditions from the U.S.’s northern neighbor are likely to shroud northern states — from Montana to Maine and as far south as Kansas — as hundreds of fires continue to burn in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan. Firefighters are working to contain active fires while preventing others from springing up.

The National Weather Service has issued air quality alerts for Wyoming, Montana and Oregon, though those conditions could be caused by a mix of Canadian wildfire smoke and regional wildfire smoke.

But anyone living near the border of Canada in Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota is likely to experience the most noticeable difference in air clarity and quality.

Much of South Dakota and Nebraska are likely to experience haze as well. Smoke plume maps from AirNow.gov show a wind pattern that drags the smoke down the center of the U.S.

Smoke plume predictions show northern parts of the United States impacted by Canadian wildfires
Smoke plume predictions show northern parts of the United States impacted by Canadian wildfires (Airnow.gov)

The northwest portion of Kansas and the northeast part of Colorado are also likely to see hazy skies.

Air quality conditions in all of those areas are in the “moderate” to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range.

But other parts of the U.S. may be impacted as well.

On Monday morning, residents of northern Maine woke up to a haze in the sky, which the Caribou National Weather Service said was due to the wildfires from the West.

Officials will continue to monitor these conditions for the next week. The National Weather Service said storms throughout the regions may help lift some of the hazy conditions.

Every year, between March and October, Canada experiences wildfire season — with most fires peaking around May.

This year is no different, though the late start to the wildfire outbreak may be due to drought-like conditions and lightning storms.

A similar combination of drought and lightning contributed to the record-setting wildfire season last year with more than 6,000 fires burning more than 71,000 square miles of land.

Residents of the U.S. were heavily impacted by the wildfire smoke last year when the plume cast a yellow shadow over major cities like New York, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Chicago and more.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in