Smoke from hundreds of wildfires in Canada has drifted across the border, causing hazy skies and poor air quality in parts of the Midwest and Northeastern United States this weekend.
Canada is experiencing its second worst wildfire season on record, with nearly 4,000 fires reported so far this calendar year, according to government data.
States such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota have seen concerning air quality levels.
Air quality alerts have been issued in parts of Illinois and Indiana as well.
In addition, residents of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine are being advised to limit outdoor activities to mitigate exposure to smoke pollution.
Bob Oravec, Lead Forecaster for the National Weather Service, explained that current wind patterns are facilitating the movement of smoke into the U.S.
He noted that air can move consistently through different layers of the atmosphere, carrying smoke downstream like leaves in the wind.
On Friday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency extended its statewide air quality alert until noon on Monday, August 4th.
This alert marks the longest air quality alert for Minnesota since the agency began issuing them in 2008, expected to last a total of seven days.
Despite some improvement in air quality by Sunday, earlier predictions indicated that the air quality index (AQI) might reach the most severe level,
image source from：npr
