A haze generated by smoke from wildfires burning in Canada thousands of miles away is still impacting Connecticut this week, forecasts show.
Over the weekend, smoke from the fires prompted air quality alerts in the northwestern United States.
So far, however, the smoke has not generated any major air quality concerns in Connecticut.
Smoke forecasts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Forest Service and University of British Columbia show smoke plumes from the fires hovering over the Northeast, including Connecticut. The smoke is expected to continue to impact the region over the next several days.
However, air quality monitoring stations around Connecticut as of Tuesday morning showed low amounts of fine particulate, which is produced by fires.
“Moderate” air quality was reported in Danbury, Hartford and Bridgeport. In those conditions, the EPA said most people will be fine going outdoors or opening their windows. Individuals who are “unusually sensitive” to air quality should keep their time outdoors light and short and go inside if they start to feel symptoms, the EPA said.
One upside to the smoke: Particles also scatter light as it passes through the atmosphere, leading to brilliant sunrises and sunsets.
The wildfire smoke caused bigger problems out west over the weekend, however.
On Sunday, the air in parts of Montana and Colorado was deemed to be “very unhealthy,” after smoke from the wildfires descended south. The smoke also made its way into Utah and Idaho, NPR reported.
The fires in Alberta and neighboring British Columbia have prompted more than 10,000 people to shelter away from their homes, the Associated Press reported.
