Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Could Return to New York State Soon

Many remember as smoke from numerous Canadian wildfires blanketed the East Coast, briefly giving New York City some of the world's worst air quality back in early June 2023. Last year, our neighbors to the north experienced an all-time record amount of wildfires, according to CBS.

However, as more wildfires have already spread across provinces in Canada this season, could the layers of smoke return causing skies across parts of New York state to turn to a dull haze?

Axios reports that there are already over 140 fires burning in western Canada, which have led to thousands of evacuations, as of Monday. Some states in the U.S., such as Minnesota and the Dakotas, have already seen the effects on their air quality.

Officials told CBS News that a warmer winter and drought conditions in many parts of Canada could fuel more fires through the spring and summer. The Canada Emergency Preparedness Minister has said that this fire season could be "more explosive" due to the heat and dryness.

Hazy Skies Return to New York State?

The Post Standard says that parts of New York state could see the "milky skies and red sunsets" that are often attributed to smoke in the air later this week, as smoke from British Columbia and Alberta could reach this far east.

However, if there is smoke it should stay more towards northern New York, rather than places like New York City. Also, a chance for rain through most of the week should prevent anything like what the state saw last June. At least, for now.

See Also: What Was New York State's Biggest Wildfire of All Time?

Offcials like the Canadian Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, are already predicting this year could be as bad as 2023, as the drought and warmer temperatures could make conditions worse.

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The managing director at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction even says that the orange-yellowish blanket of smoke that enveloped New York last year could become a more common occurrence in years to come.

See Also: New York State Takes Huge Step To Fight Increasing Wildfires