Buzz
The hazy orange cloud currently enveloping New York City and Philadelphia might soon begin to lift—at least for a while. The timeline for improved air quality on the East Coast depends on not only the persistence of the Canadian wildfires but also the weather patterns pushing smoke our way.
How did the fires begin, and what triggered them?
The wildfire season in Canada spans from May to October, and due to climate change, it has been starting earlier and lasting longer each year. At present, more than 400 wildfires are burning across the country, with over half of them being classified as “out of control,” according to the Toronto Star.
Around half of the wildfires in Canada are caused by human activity, such as discarded cigarette butts or poorly managed campfires. For the others, lightning is the usual culprit. While we don't know exactly what sparked each of the more than 400 wildfires, we do understand some of the conditions that allowed them to occur.
This past winter saw very little snowfall, leaving the fire-prone regions drier than usual as warmer months approached. Rising temperatures have added to the problem, as has climate change, which has weakened the jet stream, according to CBS News. This jet stream, which moves air from west to east, relies on the temperature difference between the Arctic and the warmer areas further south. As the Earth’s colder regions warm, this temperature gap narrows, leading to longer periods of hot, dry weather in fire-prone areas.
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How did the smoke manage to travel all the way here?
If you're someone who likes to zoom out on your weather app to track distant storms, you're likely accustomed to observing the movement of weather patterns. Their precise trajectory is influenced by a mix of variables that fluctuate daily and seasonally.
When large volumes of smoke are released into the atmosphere, it can travel with the wind for hundreds or even thousands of miles. Currently, winds are blowing from north to south. The smoke is so dense that it reaches the ground level instead of staying at higher altitudes, which is why we can both smell and see it, Time reports.
What comes next?
At present, a low-pressure system is positioned near Maine, while high pressure exists to the west, according to the Pennsylvania EPA says in a forecast. This combination creates a “channel for the thick plumes of wildfire smoke to be carried southward.” The low-pressure system is anticipated to shift eastward as the weekend approaches.
As this occurs, the smoke won't head directly toward the east coast anymore, but it will still be produced as wildfires continue to rage in Canada. Canada is fighting the fires, now receiving international assistance.
