HARRISBURG (TNS) — Smoke from Canadian wildfires could make its way into parts of Pennsylvania, conjuring up memories from 2023 when much of the state faced air-quality issues from similar circumstances.
According to the Associated Press, wildfires in western Canada have sent smoke once again heading into the United States with the Upper Midwest facing air pollution warnings and hazy skies last weekend into Monday.
However, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Allegheny County told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that atmospheric conditions could pull wildfire smoke into northwest Pennsylvania by the end of the week.
Meteorologist Lee Hendricks, though, said if smoke does reach the Erie region it won’t be a repeat of last June when much of Pennsylvania and the East Coast, as well as several southern states, battled air pollution from Canadian wildfires throughout the month.
“If we do get any smoke from those fires in the area, it won’t be a long-lasting, persistent thing,” Hendricks told the Trib.
A Canadian climatologist told the Associated Press that there were 90 wildfires burning in Canada as of Sunday, compared to about 200 this time last year.
As for the coming weeks, AccuWeather meteorologist Jon Porter said in an on-air report that officials are monitoring potential wildfires and their impact.
“There’s going to be some fires across southern Canada that we’re concerned about,” as well as northwestern Canada, that could potentially send smoke into the United States, he said.