Could the latest Canadian wildfires pump smoke toward New England?
A frontal boundary will pull smoke into the United States over the next few days. Some smoke is expected to pass through New England late Saturday and early Sunday.
Pivotal Weather
High pressure behind the front with winds 10,000 to 20,000 feet up are pulling the suspended smoke to the surface, sparking air-quality alerts across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan. High pressure is falling air, so in this case, the suspended smoke aloft is being dragged down.
These thick plumes of smoke are expected to reach as far south as the Gulf Coast this weekend and will push near New England late Saturday and into Sunday. But the good news is that a surface low-pressure system comprised of rising air will prevent most of the smoke from reaching the surface and will likely spare our region from any widespread air-quality issues.
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Some smoke may linger around on Sunday, but it should remain high enough in the sky to avoid causing any respiratory issues for folks who are sensitive to pollution and other airborne particles. There might be a hazy tint to the sky Sunday morning, but that's really about it.
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Particulates from burning trees and brush can enter the lungs and trigger intense coughing. Long-term exposure may lead to further health issues, with children, pregnant people, and the elderly being most at risk.
Air quality alerts from wildfire smoke spread across much of the Midwest and all of Michigan.
Boston Globe
Canada's wildfire season runs May through September. Its worst-ever wildfire season was in 2023, when it choked much of North America, including the Northeast, with dangerous smoke for months.
Many of the wildfires this year are burning in the Canadian province of Manitoba, where officials have declared a state of emergency as firefighters try to contain the raging fires. One wildfire in particular that began Monday farther north in Saskatchewan has exploded in size, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. Thousands of Canadians have been ordered to evacuate.
Ken Mahan can be reached at
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