Here We Go Again: Wildfire Smoke Set to Blanket the Northeast

The brief break from dangerous air quality didn't last long. Rain over the weekend helped clear out the smoke and haze that had been choking the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast, but forecasters say a new round of wildfire smoke is already pushing into the Ohio Valley today, with the mid-Atlantic and Northeast next in line by Tuesday. Read on for the details.

A Brief Break, Then Smoke Returns

A rash of wildfires burning to the northwest of Lake Superior has been triggering hazardous air quality levels for much of the Upper Midwest, the Great Lakes, and the Northeast since the middle of the week. The prevailing steering winds and a persistent heat dome have worked to create a perfect storm to send the smoke over the border into the northern U.S., trapping it below the zone of high pressure for days.

That breeze pattern sent the smoke in a southeasterly direction through the weekend, with most of it remaining high in the atmosphere. The main noticeable impacts were colorful sunsets and sunrises, though there were stretches when the smoke settled closer to the ground, causing visibility issues and health concerns for vulnerable populations.

Air quality conditions fluctuated throughout the weekend depending on the exact direction of the winds, and it's still worth monitoring air quality conditions for your specific area if you plan to spend extended time outside this week.

Rain showers and thunderstorms did move from the Midwest into the Northeast over the weekend, temporarily clearing out much of the smoke. However, thick haze lingered across the Great Lakes at times, and hazy conditions stretched into the mid-Atlantic through Sunday.

That relief proved short-lived. The heat dome that had been anchored over the northern U.S. has since shifted south into the Carolinas, setting up a northwesterly wind flow that is now pulling fresh smoke back into the region. A new round of smoke has already moved into the western Great Lakes and Ohio Valley today, Monday, with Ohio issuing a statewide air quality advisory as AQI readings climb into the unhealthy range near 170.

That smoke is expected to reach the mid-Atlantic and Northeast by Tuesday, with a third round potentially sweeping into the Northeast again around Wednesday, tapping smoke from wildfires in western Ontario and northeastern Minnesota, along with additional lofted smoke from fires farther north in Canada.

Residents of the Great Lakes and Northeast should be prepared for smoky skies through the middle of this week. Stay tuned for all of the latest information.

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