Happy Friday, everyone! A bit of a cool start out there as you stepped outside this morning. If you joined me during News Center 7 Daybreak we chatted a bit about wildfire smoke impacting us today.
The fires burning in the western United States are carrying smoke particles aloft and reaching heights where the jet stream exists. That is over 18,000 feet above the surface. Winds at that altitude are faster than here at the ground.
The end result? Those winds are carrying that smoke across the country, including here in the Miami Valley. We have dealt with this numerous times in recent years, so this is not a new phenomenon.
You may notice a reddish look to the sun this morning and again at sunset. This is because the sunlight refracts off of the smoke particles at lower angles on the horizon and allows more of the red and orange colors to be visible to our eyes. The thickest smoke will be with us from now until sunset tonight.
Additionally, a milky or hazy look to the sky and a smell of smoke can be present at times when thicker concentrations o smoke move through the area. While no air quality alerts are in effect, if you are prone to breathing difficulties it would be good to monitor yourself today…