US Air Quality Suffers from Wildfires, Ozone, and Saharan Dust

Air Quality Alert: Canadian Wildfires, Ozone, and Saharan Dust Impact US The northeastern United States is facing a significant air quality challenge due to a confluence of factors: raging Canadian wildfires, ground-level ozone, and Saharan dust. Lee Goldberg, a meteorologist at ABC7NY, explains the situation, stating, "We're watching these raging Canadian wildfires... one wildfire in Canada is the size of Rhode Island." The resulting smoke has caused some of the worst air quality days in places like Green Bay, Wisconsin. While the smoke is aloft and has taken a more scenic route, it created a thick haze on Wednesday morning, as Goldberg describes: "The sun was this little orange disc in the sky, and it looked very, very gray outside." An air quality alert was issued due to the air mass in place, trapping pollutants. Goldberg emphasizes that it's more ground-level ozone than smoke directly impacting air quality. The forecast shows improvement, with the haze thinning throughout the day on Thursday, and further clearing by the weekend. The Saharan dust, a separate issue, is also affecting the southeastern US, enhancing sunrises and sunsets but potentially hindering hurricane development. The combination of these factors highlights the complex interplay of natural events and their impact on daily life. The forecast suggests the air quality will improve over the weekend.