Canada's emissions contribute to poor air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Wildfire Smoke Far Away, But Still Affecting Bay Area Air
Listen up, folks! You might've noticed the haze in the sky and the different hue of the sunsets lately. That ain't just a random change, it's a plume of smoke from those wildfires burnin' up north in the Canadian Prairies.
Yep, you heard that right! On Sunday night, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAQMD) issued an air-quality advisory for Monday and Tuesday following satellite imagery showing the smoke band sidling over our region.
What's it all mean, you ask?
- Nope, no Spare-the-Air alert yet. The pollution levels aren't predicted to exceed federal health standards, so no wood-burning bans or incentives are in place just yet.
- Visible haze, elevated particles. Forecasters say the smoke will hang around several thousand feet up, giving us milky skies and some stunning sunsets. Ground-level readings should be good to moderate.
- Weather can change, and so can conditions quickly! Wind shifts might push some particulate matter closer to the surface, so keep an eye on air quality readings at fire.airnow.gov.
Now, where did this smoke come from?
Turns out, there have been dozens of large fires in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba that have been shootin' jets of smoke across the continent in recent days. High-altitude winds steered part of that plume down the Pacific Coast, a less common trajectory compared to the east-to-west tracks that hit the Midwest last week.
What should health officials advise?
Though pollutant concentrations are forecast to remain below regulatory limits, sensitive groups, such as elderly folks, tots, and people with heart or lung disease, might want to reduce strenuous outdoor activities, especially in the late afternoon. They should also run MERV-13 or better indoor air filters if they notice a smoky odor indoors and use N95 masks during outdoor errands if localized smoke becomes visible at nose level.
How long will it last?
Most models show the plume thinning over the Bay Area by late Tuesday as the winds change course, but additional Canadian fire outbreaks could send fresh smoke our way later in the week. Keep an eye on forecasts 'cause upper-level wind patterns are known to be as changeable as a California redwood tree in a gale.
Finally...
The smoky cast in the sky might be Canuck, but for now, the Bay Area's air remains mostly breathable. Stay smoke-aware, keep watchin' those sensors, and adjust your plans if the haze comes closer to the ground.
Stay tuned for updates and more on the wildfire situation. If you want to stay connected with all the happenings in Walnut Creek, Lamorinda, Danville, Concord, and the Trivalley, don't forget to sign up for 925 News Today!
[1] https://www.bayareair.org/[2] https://www.fire.airnow.gov/[3] https://www.acsnorthamerica.org/en/studies/ferguson-smoke-trajectory-effects-june[4] https://www.eci.eu/our-activities/smoke-trajectories/
- [1] Science, and specifically weather forecasting, can help us understand how wildfire smoke from Canada is affecting the Bay Area's air.
- [2] Environmental-science experts suggest that sensitive individuals, such as the elderly, children, and those with heart or lung disease, may want to limit outdoor activities during late afternoons when particulate matter might be closer to the surface.
