Heavy smoke from wildfires burning in Canada Wednesday led to air quality alerts in several Midwestern states, with giant plumes of smoke seen blanketing the well known Mackinac Bridge in northern Michigan and photos showing it appearing to disappear into the haze.
The low visibility and clouds of smoke led the Mackinac Bridge Authority and the Michigan Department of Transportation to issue a wildfire smoke warning about the conditions, and live bridge cameras from the authority showed cars vanishing under thick, smoky skies.
In some photos, the bridge was completely engulfed by the haze.
“Currently we are experiencing Wildfire Smoke in the Straits area,” the warning said. “Due to limited visibility, motorists crossing the Mackinac Bridge are advised to reduce their speed to a maximum of 20 miles per hour, turn on their low-beam headlights, and exercise appropriate caution.”
Air quality alerts from the fires, burning in western Ontario and northeastern Minnesota, were in effect in multiple areas, including all of southeastern Michigan and much of southern Wisconsin Wednesday. Health officials warned that poor air quality was expected to reach “unhealthy” levels for all groups.
In Illinois, an air quality alert was issued for the Chicago area due to ozone, though the National Weather Service said the wildfire smoke could make things worse.
“Smoke is getting trapped by the jetstream,” NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said Wednesday, “and that pushes it down to the surface. That’s when we could see some smoky, hazy conditions, but not until tonight.”
Dan Westervelt, associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate School, said severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and the U.S. have created “a perfect storm for really dry conditions to provide a lot of fuel for these wildfires to burn.” Research shows warming temperatures from burning coal, oil and gas are making fires more frequent and intense.
Will the wildfire smoke reach the Chicago area?
By Wednesday afternoon, intense smoke will spread into the East Coast and Midwest, including parts of the New England coast, northern Pennsylvania, Detroit and Milwaukee, said Tyler Hasenstein a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
By 8 or 9 p.m., the smoke could impact Chicago area counties to the far north, or even clip the northern sections of Cook County, as the smoke moves southward. If that happens, the air quality alert for the Chicago area set to expire at midnight could be extended.
“So, you may be able to smell it, see the effects of that with the hazy skies later tonight and even into tomorrow,” Roman said.
NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes explained that the smoke could stretch as far as the east coast.
The NWS advised children, teens, older adults and people with asthma to reduce their exposure outside and watch for symptoms of coughing or shortness of breath.
“Smoke from wildfires across Canada and the western U.S. continues to spread across the skies across much of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes,” the NWS said. “The smoke may dim the sun and create colorful sunrises and sunsets,” the NWS said. “Where the smoke is the thickest, it is reaching the surface at times, slightly reducing visibilities, and creating a burning or campfire smell. The smoke will also create air quality issues at times, mainly for sensitive groups.”
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