Dangerous Air Quality Levels Hovers Over Northern U.S.

Thursday was a hard day for those with respiratory issues across portions of the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes. Smoke from wildfires in Canada sent the air quality levels plummeting in cities such as Chicago and Minneapolis. Here is the latest on this situation, as well as the threat of wildfires that Hawaii is facing throughout the weekend.

Canadian Wildfire Smoke Sends Air Quality Plummeting in Great Lakes and Beyond

Millions of Americans are dealing with hazardous air quality levels as smoke from fires burning to the north in Canada seeps to the south into the northern tier of the U.S. Milwaukee recorded one of the most dangerous readings on Thursday morning, coming with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 227. This reading falls under the category of "very unhealthy," hovering just under the threshold to reach the highest tier, labeled as "dangerous."

Other major urban areas dealing with AQI readings bouncing around in the "very unhealthy" range include Minneapolis, Green Bay, and Chicago. Those with underlying health conditions, the elderly, and the young are most vulnerable to plummeting air quality. However, even healthy individuals may notice throat and eye irritation due to the smoke. Breathing difficulties will be amplified during times of physical activity.

Health experts advise that people in the impacted areas should minimize time spent outside. This is especially important for vulnerable populations.

How long will the threat of smoke linger? The forecast is calling for the wildfire season to begin to ease in Canada. It will be a different situation in the western U.S., a part of the country where wildfire season does not peak until September.

It has already been a disastrous wildfire season in Canada. The latest estimates are that 15 million acres of land have burned in Canada this year. This puts the nation on track to notch its second-worst wildfire season in recorded history.

It will be a bit of time before this threat eases, meaning that the northern U.S. should expect the smoky conditions for a few more weeks. It is a good practice to check the AQI levels daily so that you can make informed decisions before heading outside.

Hawaii at Increased Risk of Wildfires Due to Stronger Trade Winds

Hawaii is one part of the U.S. that could see an uptick in wildfire concerns in the days ahead. Forecasters had been warning earlier in the week that a tropical system miles away would amplify the trade winds that naturally blow over the islands. Despite the departure of the tropical threat, the increased risk of wildfires will remain in place over Hawaii through the weekend.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, a large swath of Hawaii is under the designation of dry conditions, moderate drought, or even extreme drought. The dry vegetation will serve as fuel for any sparks. The high winds will then work to spread the flames across the parched landscape.

Residents of Maui will never forget how the winds generated by Hurricane Dora spread a deadly inferno across the Lahaina area in August of 2023. Although the upcoming winds are not expected to rival the conditions that led to that tragedy, the breezes will be enough to create a risk.

Two different tropical features came to life earlier in the week in the Central Pacific, the part of the basin that is home to Hawaii. The moisture associated with the former Tropical Storm Kelli was absorbed by the former Iona by Thursday morning. The remnants of both of these features are beginning to weaken thanks to high pressure moving into the region.

This zone of high pressure will produce a clockwise circulation of air that will merge with the normal trade winds to generate gusty conditions at times. This is why local officials in Hawaii are warning residents and tourists to take care when using open flames or power equipment. All it takes is one errant spark to start a large fire.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is also monitoring an area of potential new tropical development to the southeast of the islands. Should any of these developments make it close to Hawaii next week, the island chain could see an increase in squalls.

Hawaii is generally protected from direct impacts from hurricanes and tropical storms. The cooler waters surrounding the islands tend to bring down the intensity of tropical weather in this part of the basin. You have to go back to September of 2018 to find the last time that a tropical storm made landfall in Hawaii.

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