Canadian wildfire smoke spreads into New England late Tuesday and Wednesday

Boston Globe

4 days ago

The hazy skies could hinder the
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More than 200 wildfires burn across Central and Western Canada.
FIRMS
Why are we seeing Canadian wildfire smoke here?
Our weather pattern is essentially working as a gear system between air masses. An upper-level trough over the Central United States is steering wildfire smoke south from Canada and across the Midwest and Great Lakes, and as far south as the Gulf Coast on Tuesday.
You can see thick gray smoke just east of the bright white clouds across the Great Lakes and into the interior Northeast.
You can see the dull gray smoke stretch across the Great Lakes and Interior Northeast.
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Meanwhile, a strong pocket of high pressure over the East Coast will flip our flow to a southwesterly direction, tapping into that upper-level flow and wildfire smoke pool, redirecting the smoke through much of New England late Tuesday and Wednesday.
Most of the smoke will linger across Central and Northern New England, but Boston will still see some hazy skies. Most of New England will be able to see a fiery red sunrise and sunset. Take a look at the near-surface smoke forecast late Tuesday throughout Wednesday.
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A look at near-surface smoke Tuesday night through all of Wednesday.
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Will air quality deteriorate?
The smoke that is coming into our region is not forecast to reach the surface, which is good news for folks who have respiratory challenges, like asthma.
The National Weather Service in Norton does not currently have plans to issue any air quality alerts for Wednesday given that our weather pattern should keep most smoke suspended.
The higher elevations across Northern New England, which will be much closer to the thicker smoke, may not be as fortunate. There is a 50/50 chance for parts of Northern New England to see air quality reach an unhealthy level, including cities like Burlington, Vt., Plymouth, N.H., and Augusta, Maine.
It'll be worth watching how the smoke behaves early Wednesday, but sensitive groups may consider staying indoors, especially if you experience respiratory symptoms during the day Wednesday.
As wildfire season ramps up across Canada and the United States, sensitive groups can still be at risk even when inside.
'People can be at risk of exposure to wildfire smoke even when they are indoors. Up to 80 percent of wildfire smoke particles can infiltrate buildings through leaks and gaps,' said Shichao Liu, wildfire expert and professor at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. 'With that in mind, people should consider taking steps to protect themselves not only when they are outdoors, but when they are inside too.'
Ken Mahan can be reached at