RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Winds have pushed smoke from recent Canadian wildfires into central North Carolina and could impact weather conditions this weekend.
Two dozen wildfires have been reported so far in the Canadian province of Manitoba, which is just north of Minnesota and North Dakota. On Wednesday, Manitoba declared a state of emergency, forcing 17,000 people to evacuate their homes.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, moderate air quality is expected today and tomorrow throughout counties in the area.
The Air Quality Index from the EPA said that today’s score is at 70 in most of the Piedmont Triad. This means that the air quality is at a Code Yellow, meaning folks who are sensitive to air pollution may want to think about limiting time outdoors.
A persistent haze will hover over the skies, with little impact on visibility, on Saturday and Sunday.
Particulates from the burning trees, leaves, and other vegetation that burned from dozens of wildfires from this past week remain in the air that wind has pushed south of the Canadian border.
This could lead to “dirty rain,” which is certainly possible later today if the storms reach up to 25,000 feet in height, where the smoke layer is right now. The clouds could entrain smoke particles into the raindrops.
On a wider scale, the haze is much more impactful on air quality in the Midwest and the Plains region of the U.S.
Canada’s wildfire season runs from May through September.
