SYRACUSE, NY (WSYR-TV) — Smoke from wildfires breaking out in western Canada is pouring into the upper Midwest. Some of that smoke is forecast to travel towards Central New York this weekend.
Where are the fires?
Multiple wildfires are burning in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba Canada. The winds blowing around where the fires are located are blowing the smoke into parts of the Upper Midwest. Wisconsin, Minnesota, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan are seeing the worst of it Friday where unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups is being reported.
Where is the smoke heading for this weekend?
A cold front is forecast to swing across the Upper Plains, Great Lakes, and the Northeast Friday into Saturday. The winds behind this front are from the northwest, where the highest concentration of the wildfire smoke is.
Our short-term weather models are forecasting the smoke to dive deeper into the Upper Midwest and even spread towards Syracuse Friday night into Saturday.
Will this impact our air quality?
At this time, the AQI, or Air Quality Index, is forecast to stay under 100 for Central New York Saturday. The worst of the air quality is forecast to be in parts of North Dakota and Minnesota closer to the source of the wildfires. The AQI in those areas is forecast to exceed 151, which is an unhealthy level for everyone…