A small haze hangs over downtown Grande Prairie as smoke from California and Oregon wildfires travels north. Photo Credit: Shane Clausing

By Shane Clausing

wildfire smoke

California and Oregon wildfire smoke heading to Peace Region this weekend

Sep 17, 2020 | 3:01 PM

As a result of the raging forest fires in Oregon and California, Grande Prairie and southern parts of the Peace Region could see some a hazy sky as a result of the smoke from the fires this weekend.

In places like Southern Alberta, the smoke has been hanging around for just about a week and it has gotten to Edmonton as well.

Alyssa Peterson with Environment Canada explained how the smoke got all the way up here.

“The forest fires in California and Oregon are seeing quite a lot of smoke, and so anytime we get southerly winds and a loft in the middle of the atmosphere, we get very quick transportation of the smoke into Canada. And it looks like into Friday that we are going to be getting that flow again as we get what we call an upper ridge building in.”

“So, the temperatures over the next couple of days are expected to be kind of above normal, but with the southerly winds some hazier conditions might be moving in.”

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Peterson tells EverythingGP that with the smoke coming up north, it is still uncertain how it will affect the Peace Region.

“With this event, there’s still quite a lot of uncertainty about how high the air quality health index might get, compared to last weekend when there was smoke through the province.”

“Air quality didn’t actually go up as high as we were expecting. Nothing like what B.C. is seeing in the interior valleys or even on the coast. The mountains have kind of protected us a little bit. All of the smoke right now is a loft, (it may give) some red sunsets.”

If the air quality index does rise, Peterson says it is important for those who do have breathing problems to plan ahead.

“If it does get to moderate or high like in southern B.C., we are kind of advising people to try to plan things inside or spend as little time outside as they can. Especially if you had any strenuous activities, maybe cancel those plans if the air quality health index does go into moderate or high.”

Environment Canada says that the haze in the Peace Region could subside by Saturday night, as showers are expected for that evening.