When Will the Smoke From Wildfires Disappear?
The blanket of orange haze currently surrounding New York and Philadelphia may soon dissipate – at least temporarily. When air quality improves on the East Coast depends not only on how long the wildfires in Canada burn, but also on the weather conditions that carry the smoke our way.
When and why did the fires start?
Fire season in Canada runs from May to October, and every year it starts earlier and ends later due to climate change. More than 400 wildfires are currently burning, with more than half of them considered “out of control”, according to the Toronto Star.
Typically, about half of wildfires in Canada are caused by humans, such as cigarette butts or an improperly maintained campfire. Among others, lightning is a common cause. We don’t know what caused each of the over 400 fires, but we do know something about the conditions that made them possible.
There has been very little snow this winter, so with the warmer months approaching, fire areas have been drier than usual. Temperatures were also high, which is another contributing factor. Climate change has also weakened the jet stream, according to CBS News, a weather phenomenon that moves air from west to east. The jet stream owes its existence to the temperature difference between the Arctic and areas further south. As colder parts of the Earth warm up, this difference becomes less significant, and hot, dry weather systems spend more time over fire-prone areas.
Some of the best air purifiers according to our friends at Mashable :
- Their top pick: the Coway Mighty air purifier.
- The best solution for large spaces: the Blueair 211+ automatic air purifier for large spaces.
- The best solution for small spaces: the Blueair Blue Pure 311 air purifier.
- Best for Desktop: LEVOIT Air Purifier
How did the smoke get here?
If you’re the type of person who zooms out on their weather app to see storms coming from afar, you’re used to watching the weather change. Their exact path depends on many factors that change from day to day and from season to season.
When a large amount of smoke is thrown into the air, it can travel hundreds or even thousands of miles downwind. The winds are now blowing from north to south. There is also so much smoke in the air that it is present even at ground level, according to Time, instead of staying at higher altitudes. That’s why we can smell it just like we can see it.
What will happen next?
Right now, the low-pressure system is near high-pressure Maine to the west, the Pennsylvania Environmental Protection Agency said in a forecast , creating a “corridor for dense plumes of wildfire smoke that will be transported south.” As the weekend approaches, the low pressure system is expected to move eastward.
When that happens, the smoke will no longer be directed directly to the east coast, but it will still form as the wildfire season continues in Canada. Canada puts out fires , now with international support.