Apocalyptic orange skies as Canada's wildfires rage
Skies turned orange over Northern Manitoba as wildfires continue to rage across the Canadian province. Eerie footage captured just outside The Pas on June 2 shows thick, choking haze descending over the town, with the sun vanishing behind walls of smoke. Renell Ross, 23, a local resident, said: "My sister and I were cooking when we noticed the sky gradually changing. "It became darker with a deep red hue, creating an increasingly ominous atmosphere." Ross prepared to flee but ultimately stayed, sealing the windows and switching off the AC to avoid the acrid smoke. Canada is grappling with over 200 active wildfires with more than half classified as "out of control," according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. These fires have scorched approximately 2 million hectares (4.9 million acres) of land, primarily in provinces such as Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
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11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Sunny and warm weather today, rain chances increase into Sunday.
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Mostly sunny skies are in the forecast however wildfire smoke will still be lingering across most of the area. Today will most likely be the pick of the weekend as high pressure remains in control of our weather. Skies start mostly sunny, with the smoke and haze from the Canadian wildfires, temperatures will be in the upper 70s. Eventually, clouds increase this afternoon and evening ahead of our next weather system. It looks like this system stays to our south but might clip close to the Stateline, Jackson and Hillsdale could see a shower or two late tonight into Sunday morning. Partly to mostly cloudy skies continue for most if not all of Sunday, temperatures remain warm into the mid 70s area wide. A cold front moves in late Sunday into Monday, this will be the best chance for most of Mid-Michigan to see widespread showers and even rumbles of thunder. Scattered showers and storms continue into Monday and even Tuesday as this low pressure system moves out of the Great Lakes. Temperatures warm back up by the middle of the week into the upper 70s to low 80s. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Smoke expected to lift in northern Michigan, but more could be on the way
A smoky haze settled over Traverse City, as seen from the top of Copper Ridge Drive on June 26, 2023. Smoke caused poor air quality and hampered visibility across northern Michigan. (Photo: Ed Ronco/IPR News) This coverage is made possible through a partnership between IPR and Grist, a nonprofit environmental media organization. Canadian wildfire smoke that blew into the Great Lakes region is expected to clear from northern Michigan this weekend — at least for now. The Michigan Air Quality Division said Thursday morning that the heavy smoke across the Upper Peninsula was already clearing out. Earlier in the week, there were unhealthy levels of fine particulate matter in the air across parts of the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan, with smoke settling here for days before moving further south. While division forecasters expect Friday to be the last day for advisories from this round of smoke, they said it was too early to put out a firm forecast much beyond that: 'There is still a considerable amount of smoke in Canada and the models are indicating a late weekend frontal system could draw down more smoke, next week.' The state has been issuing air quality alerts for much of the region. As of Thursday, there were still advisories across the Lower Peninsula for sensitive groups, including people with health issues like asthma. People can take measures to protect their health, such as limiting outdoor activities, closing windows, and running air conditioners with high-quality filters. This is the latest in a series of intense wildfire seasons fueled by dry conditions in Canada, resulting in smoky springs and summers in the Midwest. 'For the last few years, you've combined what has been somewhat persistent wildfire problems in Canada with an air flow that is moving some of that air from Canada down into the United States,' said Jim Keysor, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gaylord. It can be difficult to predict how far-away wildfires will affect air quality in different regions, since smoke is influenced by factors like wind, pressure systems, weather fronts and geography. 'Wherever the wind blows, the smoke is going to go,' said Alec Kownacki, a meteorologist with Michigan's Air Quality Division. 'And at different levels of the atmosphere you can have differing wind directions.' Over the past week, low pressure systems funneled smoke from fires in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba toward the upper Midwest. 'Along with that wind shift, a cold front came through. And what happens on the back end of a cold front — you have a lot of air sinking,' Kownacki said. Local weather patterns also have an influence. While rain can help improve air quality, the rain that swept across parts of the region earlier this week actually pushed smoke down toward the earth, Keysor said, making exposure more likely. 'It's actually helping to bring down some of that smoke that's higher up into the atmosphere, which normally would have been way up there,' he said. 'That wouldn't have bothered us a whole lot.' One positive, Keysor added, was that modeling for smoke forecasts has become more accessible in the National Weather Service offices in recent years. Their smoke forecasts are informed by state data. 'The programmers that were putting some of those models together began to look at that [smoke] parameter a little bit more and to make it a product that we could view more readily,' he said. The weather models they use are improving. 'We're able to see more of it than we used to.' The heavy smoke that was hanging across the Upper Peninsula and northern Michigan has now moved further south, including around Lansing. 'It's wreaking havoc for us down here right now,' said Kownacki, who is based there. Conditions are expected to improve across much of the state over the next few days, but there may be more smoke from the fires in the near future. The state Air Quality Division updated its forecast on Friday morning.
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17 hours ago
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Will wildfire smoke from Canada, Saharan dust reach Mississippi? Here's what to expect
Mississippi is in for a double whammy this week. The first rounds of Saharan dust are set to sweep across the coast midweek. Meanwhile, smoke from wildfires in Canada is being pushed to the U.S. The haze is affecting air quality across a significant portion of the country, reaching the Gulf, including Florida. The air quality forecast from AirNow, an Environmental Protection Agency site, says Mississippi is under a moderate air quality index for June 4. Here's what to know about the next few days of summer weather in Mississippi, and how you can prepare for lower air quality. As of June 3, more than 200 wildfires were burning in Canada. More than half were out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. Thousands of people have been evacuated, and some firefighters from the U.S. are going to help in Alberta and Manitoba. Smoke has affected air quality in the northern and central U.S. for days, and several states have issued air quality alerts. As of June 3, the smoke had drifted south and east, reaching the Eastern Coast as far south as Florida. According to the National Weather Service in Jackson, most of the smoke has stayed high in the atmosphere, but it can reach the surface at night. The smoke could cause vibrant sunrises and sunsets but shouldn't be a cause for concern at ground level. The smoke will stay through at least midweek. A forecast created by shows Mississippi getting a more solid smoke covering on June 4 and 5. A massive plume is set to spread over Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Alabama around the middle of the week. An AccuWeather forecast shows it hitting Florida on June 4 and pushing over to the Magnolia State by June 6. The dust waves will keep coming all summer. Also known as the Saharan Air Layer, the annual weather phenomenon can help dampen hurricanes. It brings stellar sunsets and sunrises to the U.S. and can affect air quality. Just like the name sounds like, dust and dirt from the Sahara Desert in Africa. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the dry, dusty air forms over the arid region from spring through autumn. Tradewinds can catch the dust, pushing a 2-2.5 mile thick layer in the atmosphere about a mile above the ground or ocean. According to NOAA, it's common for Saharan dust to cross the Atlantic to the Western hemisphere. In the U.S., bands will hit about every three to five days. It usually starts around June, and the strongest activity is from June to the middle of August. Fact check: Magnetic residue in video is sand from Sahara, not evidence of 'chemtrails' Yes. Smoke and Saharan dust can affect air quality. Both can trigger coughing and sinus issues for some people, especially if the coverage is thick. If you're concerned, use a mask outside and an air purifier with a filter indoors. People with asthma or other health issues affected by air quality might want to stay inside as much as possible when the dust is heavy in your area. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines Saharan dust as a form of particulate pollution. It's made of sand and minerals, but it's not the same kind of dust as the household variety with dust mites. Smoke also has small particles that can cause eye to burn, respiratory inflammation and damage the heart and lungs. It can cause headaches and bronchitis. Is Mississippi at risk this year? See summer wildfire forecast from AccuWeather Sort of. It can suppress the energy needed for hurricanes to form and intensify. It's more like starving a storm than making one stop in its tracks automatically. Large amounts of dust can keep the surface of the ocean slightly cooler, which can help prevent storms from growing or forming. According to the National Weather Service, the lower humidity and warm, dry air can also weaken an existing storm with downdrafts or throw off the heat signature of a cyclone. Contributing: Jeanine Santucci Bonnie Bolden is the Deep South Connect reporter for Mississippi with Gannett/USA Today. Email her at bbolden@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Wildfire smoke from Canada, Saharan dust heading to MS. What to expect
