Millions of Americans are again suffering through poor air quality caused by record-setting Canadian wildfires, with Buffalo, Washington, D.C. and Baltimore among cities with air ranked “unhealthy” Friday.
Detroit on Friday was again considered as one of worst cities internationally for air quality, along with Toronto, Montreal, and New York City. There are nearly 500 active wildfires in Canada, and fires there this summer have burned an area about the size of West Virginia.
In some areas, authorities discouraged people from exercising outside over concerns the pollution could damage their breathing, especially if they have asthma.
In Washington, D.C., and Chicago, conditions Friday were expected to improve from red to orange, indicating a lower risk for most people but reflecting continued concern for people with sensitivities.
Air quality forecast to improve as weather pattern changes
The National Weather Service predicts air quality will improve in most areas Friday afternoon and into the weekend as a combination of strong storms moving east across the country and a reduction in Canadian smoke helps clear the air.
“In addition to the heat and the severe storms, Canadian wildfire smoke is expected to continue impacting portions of the northeastern quadrant of the U.S. over the next few days. However, air quality is expected to slowly improve due to a combination of thunderstorm activity and dispersion of the smoke as we head into the weekend,” the weather service said in a Friday morning short-term forecast.
Air quality concerns at PGA Tour stop in Detroit
In Detroit, officials at the Rocket Mortgage Classic were monitoring conditions. When the AQI reaches 300 for a sustained period, the PGA tour considers suspending play.
Two years ago, PGA officials adopted the policy after smoke from California wildfires made it hard to see balls in flight at the Barracuda Championship near Tahoe.
“It’s not an absolute stop,” Wade Stettner, the tour’s on-site meteorologist, said Thursday. “But it’s kind of up to his discretion, more of a recommendation, depending on kind of the situation.”
Summer camps moving indoors as smoke lingers
Summer camps in several states moved many activities indoors as smoke lingered, seeking to protect kids from unhealthy air. Conditions were ranked as red or “unhealthy” in Pennsylvania on Friday morning but were forecast to improve to orange or “unhealthy for sensitive groups” later in the day.
“There’s certainly a concern, considering that we take children from the cities,” Mark Zides, chairman of the Pennsylvania Camp Association, said Thursday. “Coming up to the mountains for the summer is what summer camp is all about.”
Maggie Groce, one of the directors of the summer camp program at Tanglewood Nature Center in Elmira, New York, said kids were staying inside as the air quality level hit 183 — in the dangerous red zone.
“Ideally, we would love for them to be outside in nature, on the trails, so this has thrown a wrench on our plans,” Groce said.
Will the Canadian wildfire smoke ever end this summer?
Thanks to the ongoing wildfires in Canada, which show no sign of ending, smoky air is likely to be a regular occurrence in the U.S. throughout the rest of the summer, experts said. The Canadian wildfire season usually lasts until October, and the wildfires through June have already set a record for area burned, with the hottest part of the summer yet to come.
“As long as those fires keep burning up there, that’s going to be a problem for us,” Weather Prediction Center forecast operations chief Greg Carbin said. “As long as there’s something to burn, there will be smoke we have to deal with.”
The unusual jet stream pattern, which continues to periodically funnel the foul, smoke-filled air over U.S. cities, shows no sign of changing or letting up.
“While the fires are ongoing, you can expect to see these periodic bad air days,” University of Chicago atmospheric scientist Liz Moyer said. “And the only relief is either when the fires go out or when the weather pattern dies.”
Contributing: Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press; the Associated Press
