GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As wildfires continue to burn across large portions of the Canadian wilderness, their effect is being felt here in West Michigan.
Smoke from the wildfires is being blown from the north and lingering across the Midwest and beyond.
Smoke from wildfires in western Canada have blanketed large portions of the United States as southerly and westerly winds push smoke across our northern border.
The heavy haze that we have experienced comes from smoke that is being produced in a separate area of wildfires in Canada.
The smoke that has been covering Grand Rapids and the surrounding area comes from the wildfires in northern Quebec.
In the map below, you will notice that the smoke that is around the Midwest is coming from a group of intense wildfires burning in the Quebec Province.
You can follow the smoke patterns at Fire.AirNow.gov.
As of June 27, the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre is reporting a total of 480 wildfires burning across the country. Nearly half of those fires are currently listed as under control while 89 are listed as "being held" and another 152 are under control.
You can follow the status of the fires on an interactive map at CIFFC.ca.
And while the air quality in West Michigan has improved since Tuesday, it is only slightly better and will get worse again as wind brings more smoke to the region on Thursday.
The maps below show the intensity of the smoke from the Quebec as forecasted through the weekend:
Wednesday 10 a.m.
Wednesday 10 p.m.
Thursday 10 a.m.
Thursday 10 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m.
Friday 10 p.m.
Saturday 10 a.m.
Saturday 10 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m.
The smoke from the wildfire will return on Thursday and be very similar to the haze we experienced on Tuesday.
By Friday evening, the majority of the smoke will have left the region as wind patterns shift.
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