Saharan dust and Canadian smoke will cover U.S. together this week
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In a rare atmospheric convergence, the East Coast will experience both drifting smoke from Canadian wildfires and a sweeping plume of Saharan dust during the next few days.
While residents in the Midwest recently endured the worst of the wildfire smoke—bringing air quality to near-dangerous levels—conditions are now improving. According to AccuWeather, air quality in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa is expected to clear following the recent haze.
An easterly wind pattern has carried the smoke eastward, reaching as far south as Florida. But, the smoke remains generally high in the atmosphere, likely resulting only in vivid red sunrises and sunsets rather than ground-level health concerns.
Adding to the spectacle, a plume of Saharan dust is making its way from South Florida toward the Gulf Coast. This dust will further enhance the brilliance of sunrises and sunsets across the region throughout the week.
The paths of the Canadian wildfire smoke and Saharan dust
Unable to view our graphics? Click here to see them.
AccuWeather hurricane expert Alex DaSilva, in a report released by the forecasting company on June 2, said that the plume is roughly 2,000 miles wide from west to east and 750 miles long from north to south. The plume appears to be the largest to reach America so far this year.
Alan Reppert, AccuWeather senior meteorologist, told USA TODAY June 2 that the plume will likely make it over Florida on June 4 and move over the Gulf Coast the following two days.
Where Canadian smoke blankets the U.S.
There are over 200 wildfires burning in Canada as of June 3, with over 100 classified as "out of control," according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
The fires have forced thousands to evacuate. On June 2, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, announced that 150 federal firefighting personnel from the United States are headed across the border to help fight fires in the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba.
Contributing: James Powel, Julia Gomez and Jeanine Santucci
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