JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Smoke from wildfires in Canada is again blanketing portions of the United States this week. The haziness has made it to the Jacksonville area, but unlike other portions of the country, we are not seeing any air quality concerns across the First Coast.
Some of our First Coast News Weather Watchers posted pictures in the Facebook group noticing a hint of the smoke at sunrise.
In the Lower 48, this smoke will linger through mid-week thanks to northwesterly winds aloft pushing it south from Canada. There are Air Quality alerts issued for areas, including the northern High Plains, the Midwest, Great Lakes, the southern Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast. This is where concentrations of smoke are highest meaning air quality will be unhealthy for sensitive groups.
By the time the smoke plume reaches the First Coast, it's much lower in concentration and, therefore, does not cause an air quality concern in Jacksonville.
However, the additional smoke particles in our sky will allow for more scattering of light. This means the colors in the sky at times of sunrise and sunrise will have an extra "POP" to them. It also may look at tad hazy like it did on Tuesday morning, or maybe the sky during the afternoon won't be as bright of a blue.
Looking ahead, as Canada continues to battle its worst wildfire season on record, the fires don't look to go out any time soon and could even last into the winter season. So, when the jet stream and winds allow, portions of the United States will continue to see bouts of this smoke from time to time.
