Latest news with #TheWeatherChannel
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How wildfires in Canada are creating health hazards in the Midwest
Dozens of wildfires in the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba have spread out of control this week, displacing residents and causing smoke that has made its way into the American Midwest. Wildfire season in Canada typically runs from March to October, and fire activity in western Canada usually has an uptick in May, according to The New York Times. The season is already off to a grim start after a wildfire in Manitoba killed two people and forced the evacuation of an entire town earlier in May. Canada's fire season is earlier than Utah's, which is typically from July to October. The smoke from the fires has been dragged by a cold front into states such as Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. A cold front has pushed the smoke from the Canadian fires across the border into Minnesota's northern region and tribal nations, according to The New York Times. This has generated a reading of red on the air quality index, used by states to track particle pollution. A red reading means it is unhealthy for many people in the general public. Air quality alerts have also been issued across the entire state of Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, according to The Weather Channel. The smoke that is blowing into these areas is near-surface smoke, which can be unhealthy to breathe since it is at lower levels. Meteorologists in Michigan's Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy said that the levels of fine particulate in the air would be elevated in the state into Saturday. Those in sensitive groups who may be more susceptible to smoke were advised to take precautions, including adjusting outdoor activity, The New York Times reported. These groups include those with heart or lung disease, older adults, children, pregnant people and outdoor workers. As the fires burn in Canada's prairies in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the two neighboring provinces have declared states of emergency. The premier of Saskatchewan, Scott Moe, issued the emergency order on Thursday, following Wab Kinew of Manitoba who did the same on Wednesday, per The New York Times. Across northern Saskatchewan, a rural region housing several Indigenous reserves, 15 communities have been evacuated. The emergency orders will last for at least 30 days, enabling public safety officials to mobilize resources quickly and get help from other provinces. Firefighting crews from British Columbia and Nova Scotia are already at work in Saskatchewan. Around 17,000 residents of Manitoba are under evacuation orders as fires burn in the north and east areas of the province, per The New York Times. Throughout the weekend, the greatest concentrations of smoke will be in the Midwest and northern Plains; as winds continue to blow, lesser concentrations will move into the South and East. Weather patterns will change Monday into Tuesday, turning winds out of the South and central U.S. ahead of a cold front from the West. Wildfire seasons across the country, including Utah's, are increasing in length, per Axios. These increases are straining fire departments and other organizations that control and contain wildfires. Between 1973 and 2024, the number of 'fire weather' days along most of the Wasatch Front rose by 12 to 15 days, according to an analysis from Climate Central. In western Utah, fire weather days have increased by 34. A 'fire weather day' is defined as 'one with temperatures of at least 45°-55°F (depending on the season), relative humidity within 5% of regional thresholds, and sustained wind speeds of 15mph or more — all happening together during at least two hourly measurements on a given day," according to Axios.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
What are the most — and least — trusted news sites? What Americans said in a poll
In a media landscape clouded by cynicism, one name shines through as the most trusted brand in news: The Weather Channel, according to new polling. The latest YouGov survey found that — for the fourth year in a row — the Weather Channel ranked as the most trusted news source in America, easily putting its many competitors to shame. Meanwhile, the National Enquirer landed at the other end of the spectrum, earning the unenviable title of the least trusted name in the business. That said, responses varied significantly based on partisan affiliation, with Democrats generally expressing more confidence in news sites. And, when it comes to news from social media, trust levels have increased. Most and least trusted sites The poll — which sampled 2,211 U.S. adults May 11-12 — gave respondents a list of 52 outlets and asked them to rate them as very trustworthy, trustworthy, untrustworthy, very untrustworthy or none of these. A net trust score was then calculated for each outlet by subtracting the untrustworthy share from the trustworthy share. As previously mentioned, The Weather Channel dominated, earning a +49 score. It was followed by the BBC (+26), PBS (+25) and Forbes (+24). After these came ESPN (+21), The Wall Street Journal (+20) and two wire service agencies: Reuters (+17) and the Associated Press (+17). A smattering of print, digital and television news sources made up the middle of the pack, including the New York Times (+14), CNN (+8), the Hill (+6) and Fox Business Channel (+2). Out of the 52 sites, just a dozen — including tabloid and right-wing outfits — earned net negative trustworthiness scores. The National Enquirer was, by far, the least trusted news source, with a score of -37. It was followed by Infowars (-15), Breitbart News (-7), People (-4) and Comedy Central (-4). Placing slightly above these were Al Jazeera (-3), the Washington Examiner (-2), OAN (-2) and HuffPost (-2). And, compared to previous years, trust in most outlets has remained about steady, with many shifting just a few points in either direction. Partisan breakdown The poll — which has a margin of error of about 3 percentage points — also broke down responses based on partisanship. Democrats were generally far more trusting than Republicans of the media, giving higher ratings to 44 of the 52 outlets. PBS was the most trusted source for Democrats, earning a +66 rating from them. This was followed by the BBC (+62), NBC (+59) and the Weather Channel (+59). In contrast, Republicans gave their highest rating to the Weather Channel (+48). Fox News came in a close second, with a score of +46. After this came the Fox Business Channel (+40), Newsmax (+25) and OAN (+20). Social media The poll also found that a growing share of Americans express trust in news that comes from social media. Across 12 platforms that were surveyed, trust in all of them increased from 2024. For example, YouTube's score went from +1 to +12 and TikTok grew from -35 to -26. Republican trust in all social media platforms increased, while Democratic trust declined when it came to four sites: X (previously known as Twitter), Truth Social, Facebook and Nextdoor. Younger Americans were also more likely than their older counterparts to express confidence in news disseminated by social media. For example, YouTube earned a score of +27 among 18-44-year-olds, while the platform earned a score of 0 among those 44 and older.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Smoke from Canadian Wildfires That Forced 17,000 to Evacuate Is Expected to Hit the U.S.
Canadian wildfires burning in Saskatchewan and Manitoba are expected to bring smoke and affect air quality in the Midwestern U.S. The fires have already prompted air quality alerts in states like Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota So far, 17,000 people in Canada have been forced to evacuate in a situation Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called "very serious"Wildfires in Canada are expected to impact air quality in the United States as strong winds blow smoke south into the Midwest. Fires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have triggered a statewide air quality alert in Wisconsin and regional alerts in Minnesota and Michigan, according to The Weather Channel, which reported that Chicago could also see a drop in air quality from the fires. The Washington Post reported that Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio may all see effects from the wildfires, too, when smoke is pushed into the region on Friday, May 30. While the smoke is expected to be concentrated mostly in the Midwest and Northern Plains from Friday through Sunday, June 1, The Weather Channel said that it could also move to the southern and eastern U.S. in lower concentrations. The smoke will likely be pushed north on Monday, June 2, according to The Weather Channel. The outlet reported that "relief from smoky skies and air quality issues should at least temporarily arrive" thanks to winds coming into the region from the southern U.S. The Canadian wildfires, which have already blazed through hundreds of thousands of acres, have forced 17,000 people in the country to evacuate so far, according to USA Today. Canada's Department of Natural Resources said "rising temperatures, steady winds and low relative humidity" have sparked the fires, which Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe called "a very serious situation." "I do fear things are going to deteriorate with the weather we have ahead of us in the days ahead," Moe said in a Thursday, May 29, press conference, USA Today reported. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The situation is so dire that the military has been called in to assist with evacuations, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said at a news conference, according to the paper. Kinew said the evacuation was the largest "seen in most people's living memory." The wildfires come two years after 2023 blazes in central Canada turned skies orange in the U.S., triggering air quality alerts across the country. At the time, New York City experienced the highest pollution level in the world on June 6, 2023. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Maps show Canada wildfire smoke forecast for U.S.
Wildfire smoke from Canada is expected to move over the U.S., impacting air quality for millions of people on Friday and this weekend. Maps and satellite imagery show the large-scale impact of the blazes. More than 90 fires out of 174 active blazes were burning "out of control" across Canada as of Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. A state of emergency was declared in the province of Saskatchewan where over a dozen fires are raging. Earlier this week, 17,000 people were told to flee blazes in Manitoba, a neighboring province that borders North Dakota and Minnesota. Satellite imagery from Thursday showed a massive smoke plume spanning 3,000 miles from Montana to the Atlantic. Air quality alerts are covering parts of the Upper Midwest, including areas in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern Minnesota, as well as all of Wisconsin, The Weather Channel reports. Air quality is expected to be "unhealthy for sensitive groups" on Friday in cities spanning from Madison, Wisconsin, to Duluth, Minnesota, according to the federal site AirNow. Air quality is forecast to be "moderate" in cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Detroit. On Saturday, air quality is expected to worsen in parts of Minnesota, where it is forecast to be "unhealthy," AirNow said. Maps show how thick the smoke is expected to be in the U.S. on Friday and Saturday. Canadian wildfire smoke led to sweeping air quality issues across the U.S. back in 2023, when hundreds of blazes were raging. Drought and record heat contributed to those fires, which in May and June that year created a record level of emissions. More ICE shakeups as Trump "border czar" says arrests could be higher Bon Appétit reveals its list of the best new bars in America for 2025 What determines who gets a student visa? Former DHS official explains the vetting process
CBS News
3 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Maps show Canada wildfire smoke forecast for U.S. as dozens of blazes burn out of control
Wildfire smoke from Canada is expected to move over the U.S., impacting air quality for millions of people on Friday and this weekend. Maps and satellite imagery show the large-scale impact of the blazes. More than 90 fires out of 174 active blazes were burning "out of control" across Canada as of Thursday, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes. A state of emergency was declared in the province of Saskatchewan where over a dozen fires are raging. Earlier this week, 17,000 people were told to flee blazes in Manitoba, a neighboring province that borders North Dakota and Minnesota. Satellite imagery from Thursday showed a massive smoke plume spanning 3,000 miles from Montana to the Atlantic. Canada wildfires have created a smoke plume stretching 3,000 miles from Montana to the Atlantic Ocean. NOAA/CIRA Air quality alerts are covering parts of the Upper Midwest, including areas in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and northern Minnesota, as well as all of Wisconsin, The Weather Channel reports. Air quality is expected to be "unhealthy for sensitive groups" on Friday in cities spanning from Madison, Wisconsin, to Duluth, Minnesota, according to the federal site AirNow. Air quality is forecast to be "moderate" in cities including Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Cincinnati and Detroit. On Saturday, air quality is expected to worsen in parts of Minnesota, where it is forecast to be "unhealthy," AirNow said. Maps show how thick the smoke is expected to be in the U.S. on Friday and Saturday. The wildfire smoke forecast for the U.S. on Friday, May 30, at 6 p.m. ET. CBS News The forecast for wildfire smoke in the U.S. for Saturday, May 31, at 6 a.m. ET. CBS News The wildfire smoke forecast for the U.S. for Saturday, May 31, at 6 p.m. ET. CBS News Canadian wildfire smoke led to sweeping air quality issues across the U.S. back in 2023, when hundreds of blazes were raging. Drought and record heat contributed to those fires, which in May and June that year created a record level of emissions.
