WASHINGTON (7News) — Just days after one of the area’s rare Code Purple air quality alerts—conditions considered very unhealthy for everyone—the same wildfire smoke creating breathing concerns may provide one unexpected atmospheric benefit.
It could slightly reduce Saturday’s severe thunderstorm threat.
No, wildfire smoke isn’t “good” for the atmosphere or for our health. But from a weather standpoint, it can sometimes act like turning down the thermostat on the atmosphere, making it just a little harder for thunderstorms to get going.
How Smoke Changes the Atmosphere
Canadian wildfire smoke is made up of millions of microscopic aerosol particles that interact with both sunlight and clouds…