Current:Home > FinanceLatest Canadian wildfire smoke maps show where air quality is unhealthy now and forecasts for the near future -Prime Capital Blueprint
Latest Canadian wildfire smoke maps show where air quality is unhealthy now and forecasts for the near future
NovaQuant Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-06 17:11:58
Smoke from the wildfires raging in Canada have affected parts of the U.S. and satellite images from NASA show the smoke has even traveled across the Atlantic to Europe. Here is the expected forecast for the smoke.
For several days, parts of the Midwest and Northeast have been seeing unhealthy levels of smoke, with Detroit, Chicago and New York City experiencing some of the worst air quality in the world, according to IQAir, which monitors the air quality index around the world. On Saturday, the air quality in the United States was better, with Washington, D.C., the highest-ranked American city on the index, coming in fourth on IQAir's global ranking, and some Midwestern cities falling off the list.
The city with the worst air quality in the world was Jakarta, Indonesia, IQAir reported, followed by Lahore, Pakistan. Toronto, Canada came in third on the list, a sign that the smoke from the fires is having less of an impact in North America this weekend.
The smoke is traveling along the jet stream, a pattern of wind that flows from west to east. In an email to CBS News Wednesday, meteorologist Jen Carfagno, co-host of The Weather Channel's "America's Morning Headquarters," and hurricane and storm specialist Greg Postel of The Weather Channel said the extreme and early start to fire season is related to the extremely above-average temperatures in Canada.
An interactive map of particle pollution levels from The Associated Press, based on NOAA, EPA and other data, showed a large area of red, indicating an "unhealthy" Air Quality Index, over northwestern New York and Toronto. There were also some red spots in the Midwest, while further north in Canada there were some purple, or "unhealthy," zones. Much of the country, including the East Coast and the Midwest, were marked yellow, for "moderate" air quality.
On Friday, the smoke appeared to move further east on the map.
"Poor air quality can be hazardous," the National Weather Service warns — especially for more sensitive groups including children, the elderly, those who are pregnant, and people with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular issues. Health officials in numerous cities encouraged people to limit time outdoors.
Earlier this week, New York City air was considered "unhealthy," according to AirNow, and Gov. Kathy Hochul issued air quality health advisories for western and central New York and eastern Lake Ontario. As of Saturday morning, conditions in New York City remained "unhealthy for sensitive groups," while air quality in the rest of the state ranged from "moderate" to "unhealthy," according to AirNow.
Pittsburgh's air quality was ranked as "very unhealthy" earlier in the week. Conditions have improved to "moderate" as of Saturday morning, according to AirNow.
The amount of smoke the U.S. receives depends on "the wind direction, the wind speeds, the density variations in the smoke from the source region, and the stability in the atmosphere," Carfagno and Postel said.
NASA said Monday the smoke from Canada had spread across the Atlantic to southwestern Europe. Images from NASA's Terra satellite show smoke over Portugal and Spain, but NASA said it has spread even further.
Smoke from wildfires has traveled in this way before. In 2017, NASA said smoke from West Coast wildfires traveled 3,000 miles to the East Coast.
In 2020, smoke from the massive brushfires in Australia circled the globe, passing South America and reaching back to Australia where they originated, according to NASA.
- In:
- Air Quality
- Wildfire Smoke
- Canada
Caitlin O'Kane is a digital content producer covering trending stories for CBS News and its good news brand, The Uplift.
veryGood! (2)
Related
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- Biden administration announces more new funding for rural broadband infrastructure
- Snoop Dogg's outdoor concert in Houston sees 16 hospitalizations for 'heat-related illness'
- 2 men jump overboard when yacht goes up in flames off Maine coast
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Olivia Newton-John's Daughter Chloe Details Neglecting Health Issues Following Her Mom's Death
- Diamondbacks' Tommy Pham gets into argument with fans after 'disrespectful' comments
- USC’s Caleb Williams, Ohio State’s Harrison Jr. and Michigan’s Corum top AP preseason All-Americans
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Rights group says Saudi Arabia border guards fired on and killed hundreds of Ethiopian migrants
Ranking
- Bill Belichick's salary at North Carolina: School releases football coach's contract details
- King Charles III carries on legacy of mother Queen Elizabeth II with Balmoral Castle ceremony
- Immigrant workers’ lives, livelihoods and documents in limbo after the Hawaii fire
- The Hills' Whitney Port Addresses “Snarky” Comments Amid Concerns Over Her Weight
- Backstage at New York's Jingle Ball with Jimmy Fallon, 'Queer Eye' and Meghan Trainor
- Alabama can enforce ban on puberty blockers and hormones for transgender children, court says
- Ecuadorians reject oil drilling in the Amazon in historic decision
- Michael Jackson accusers' sexual abuse lawsuits revived by California appeals court
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Charles Martinet, the voice of Nintendo's beloved Mario character, is stepping down
Prosecutor releases video of fatal police shooting that shows suspect firing at officer
This queer youth choir gives teens a place to feel safe and change the world
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Canadian firefighters make progress battling some blazes but others push thousands from their homes
Hilary power outage map: Thousands with no power in California after tropical storm
Philadelphia mall evacuated after 4 men rob a jewelry store, pepper-spray employees