TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A thick smoke plume from Canadian wildfires is expected to bring unhealthy air quality to northwest Ohio on Thursday, according to the 13 First Alert Weather Team.
Canadian wildfires northwest of Lake Superior have grown significantly over the last 48 hours and thick smoke has already been detected on satellite imagery to the north of the region, First Alert Meteorologist Ross Ellet wrote on social media. Winds aloft are expected to shift from north to south Wednesday into Thursday, pushing the smoke plume across the entire Great Lakes region.
When and where the smoke will arrive
Northern and central Michigan could see unhealthy air move in late Wednesday, with the plume reaching northern Ohio around sunrise Thursday. The worst impacts for the Toledo area are expected Thursday morning.
A cold front moving through around midnight Wednesday will shift winds and create sinking air, which Ellet said will help bring the smoke down to ground level — a key factor in the air quality concern.
What the AQI numbers mean
The Air Quality Index is expected to exceed 150 Thursday, the threshold at which some people may begin to experience health effects, particularly those sensitive to lung irritants…