‘Code Red’ air quality Thursday as smoke from Canadian wildfires returns to DC area
Where there's smoke, there's Canadian wildfires, and the smog is drifting back to the D.C. area on Wednesday. Here's what you need to know.
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Where there’s smoke, there’s Canadian wildfires, and the smog is drifting back to the D.C. area. Here’s what you need to know.
It was “Code Orange” Wednesday in the D.C. area, which means that physical activity should be limited for children, older adults and people with asthma and other respiratory conditions.
It won’t get better on Thursday, when the air quality will be at “Code Red.” Particle pollution will be worse than Wednesday, 7News First Alert meteorologist Jordan Evans said.
When it is a “Code Red” air quality, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion, while everyone else should reduce them.
‘Milky look to the sky’
“Northwesterly winds will transport wildfire smoke back into the region on Wednesday,” WTOP meteorologist Mike Stinneford said.
This time, though, the smoke will be high in the atmosphere — around 20,000 to 25,000 feet, so Stinneford said “we’ll have a milky look to the sky.”
Earlier this month, air quality and visibility plummeted when the D.C. area had a “Code Purple” air quality.
“This is not going to be like the smoke that we saw earlier in the month, but we are going to be looking out for some haze that could cause some issues for unhealthy and sensitive groups,” said 7News First Alert eteorologist Mark Peña.
Stinneford said the smoke is taking a “circuitous route to get here” — through Canada, the Midwest and then the D.C. area — and that the smoke should be out of the region by Friday.
Forecast
As the smoke clears by Friday, humidity and storm changes increase. The heat index on Friday is expected to be about 95 degrees.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Mainly clear. Lows in the low to upper 60s.
THURSDAY: Mostly sunny. Highs in the mid to upper 80s.
FRIDAY: Partly cloudy. Isolated afternoon thunderstorm. Highs in the mid to upper 80s.
Current weather
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Source: WTOP
