WHEELING, W.Va. (WTRF) – With wildfires ongoing across Quebec, smoke and haze have been and will continue to be in the low levels of the atmosphere here in the Ohio Valley through the end of the week.
Relief is forecast to come this weekend.
Where is the smoke coming from?
Thick layers of smoke/haze have covered the skyline across the area the past few days, but continue to push further south thanks to northerly winds in the upper levels of the atmosphere.
The wildfires have blazed through roughly 9.4 million acres so far across Central/Eastern Canada.
Near surface smoke will hang around, likely bumping air quality levels to a code orange Friday. However, models have trended to keep the most dense plumes to our east.
The darker the color of the squares on the map above the more unhealthy air quality is. Green represents good healthy air quality, while purple is hazardous.
Low Air Quality can cause headaches, irritated eyes or sinuses, coughing, fatigue, difficulty breathing, chest pains and asthma attacks, or irritated throat.
WHO IS AT RISK:
- Older Adults
- Young Children
- If Pregnant
- Have heart and or lung issues
- Those with asthma
So if you fall into any of these categories it is recommended to limit outdoor activities.
Keeping your windows closed throughout the day is a good idea as well. Air quality will likely continue to drop throughout the day today and through the rest of the week until relief arrives for the week.
