Smoke From Canadian Fires Will Not Be Leaving Mi Sky Anytime Soon
It looks like the smoke and haze from the Canadian wildfires in the Michigan sky and air will be around for most of the summer.
What Caused the Canadian Wildfires of 2023?
Canada experienced low snowfall this winter which was followed by an exceptionally dry spring. The country only received one-third of its normal rainfall from March through May. These things alone had Canadian forests primed for wildfires.
So what did ignite these Canadian wildfires? Most wildfires are usually started by one of two things, lighting strikes or accidentally by human activity. Lightning is what started the fires in Quebec the others are still to be determined.
How Many Canadian Wildfires Are Burning?
Currently, there are 485 active fires burning across Canada at this time with 257 that are out of control. With a record of 9.8 million acres of Canadian forests burning, it doesn't look like any of these fires will be burning out anytime soon.
We saw weeks ago the sky of New York City which was hazy with smoke and at one point had the lowest air quality in the entire country.
As you can see from my office photo of downtown Grand Rapids, it would be a clear day if it were not for the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. Michigan's air quality a few days ago was the worst in the entire country.
When Will the Canadian Wildfire Smoke Leave Michigan?
The only break Michigan is going to get is when that heat wave from Texas makes its way north bringing extreme heat and humidity. When the heatwave passes the smoke will likely return.
According to WOOD, because of the stuck weather pattern and the fact that the wildfires will not be dying down anytime soon, Michigan is more than likely going to have to deal with hot dry temperatures and the smoky haze for the entire summer.