Hazy outlook: Smoke, dust likely to impact US skies this weekend

USA Today

4 days ago

Hazy outlook: Smoke, dust likely to impact US skies this weekend
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'Massive smoke plumes' from wildfires cover Canadian provinces
Timelapse satellite imagery shows wildfires and thick smoke over two Canadian provinces on Monday, May 26. CSU/CIRA & NOAA via Storyful
CSU/CIRA & NOAA
Noxious wildfire smoke from Canada will infiltrate the U.S. through the north this weekend, just as African dust clouds approach from the east. They have nothing to do with the Trump tariffs and might not be as ominous as it sounds, but their presence will be noticeable.
Meteorologists are especially keeping track of the smoke, emanating from wildfires in Canadian territory from British Columbia to Manitoba, which have the potential to cause health problems in American soil.
Smoke has already been detected drifting in through Montana, North Dakota and northern Minnesota, where air quality alerts have been issued. The smoke is expected to spread across the upper Midwest on Friday and Saturday before heading southeast, where cloud cover would minimize its impact.
While not on the same scale as the spring and summer of 2023, when 800-plus Canadian wildfires burned more than 40 million acres and blanketed large swaths of the U.S. Midwest and East with a gray haze, the current spate of approximately 150 blazes will have an extended impact across the border as the wind blows southeast.
Chicago, Milwaukee in the smoke's path
Major population areas in and around Chicago and Milwaukee will likely be in the smoke's path, and possibly Detroit and Indianapolis as well.
'We will see more smoke across parts of the Midwest, even down into portions of the Ohio Valley by Sunday,'' AccuWeather meteorologist Elizabeth Danco said. 'We are expecting some of it to get down into some of the lower levels of the atmosphere, which could cause some reduced air quality and some health hazards, especially for those with respiratory issues.''
How acute those become could be determined by the smoke's elevation in the atmosphere. At lower levels it can not only cause breathing difficulties but also impair driving visibility. When remaining high, the haze actually leads to vibrant sunrises and sunsets.
That same phenomenon may be on display with the appearance of the Saharan dust clouds, which are fairly common this time of year. The first of two large ones is primed to arrive this weekend and is aiming for Florida and the Gulf Coast, in addition to the Caribbean, parts of Mexico and most of Central America, AccuWeather said.
Some benefits to the dust clouds
The second one is even bigger and will likely cover all of Florida and most of the gulf by Thursday morning, according to the outlet.
Danco said neither one figures to present a health threat or affect air quality because they will mostly remain at high levels in the atmosphere. Dust clouds can actually have the beneficial effect of inhibiting storm formation or development because they carry such dry air, the opposite of what nourishes weather systems like hurricanes.
In addition, the hazy skies they create can be quite vibrant as the sun rises and sets.
'They have a nice orange hue to them,'' Danco said. 'It's really cool to see the sky. There should be some good pictures coming out.''