Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Spreads to Major Cities in the Northeast Region

During a conference call this morning, a colleague in the Northeast had to pause due to the poor air quality associated with smoke. Wildfires in Canada and prevailing winds are transporting a significant amount of smoke into the Interstate 95 corridor of the northeastern United States, including densely populated cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, and Boston. Not only urban dwellers but also rural towns are at risk.

According to the National Weather Service discussion from the Weather Prediction Center, “Wildfire smoke moving southward out of Canada and over the northern part of the country has triggered Air Quality Alerts over parts of the Upper Great Lakes to the Northeast.” The above map depicts a model forecast of the expected vertically integrated smoke distributions for June 7th.

As a meteorologist examines the cause of the smoke, it is interesting to observe the atmospheric flow at the 500 mb level. The altitude is typically higher in warmer air than in colder air. In Northeast, an upper level cyclone is observed that explains why Canadian smoke is blowing into the region. The result of this atmospheric setup is that air quality alerts are in place for much of the Northeast. The EPA has developed an Air Quality Index (AQI) that runs from 0 to 500 and indicates the level of air pollution and the corresponding health risks.

At the time of writing, the AQI in parts of New York City were in unhealthy ranges for sensitive groups, and in some areas, the AQI indicated broader unhealthy conditions. The following groups are particularly vulnerable to poor air quality: children, pregnant women, older adults, low socioeconomic neighborhoods, people with pre-existing heart and lung disease. Communities of color have also shown a disproportionate sensitivity to poor air quality. Unfortunately, the smoke will continue to be present in the region for much of the week before shifting weather patterns clear the air.

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