The smoke from wildfires burning throughout B.C., the Northwest Territories and northern Alberta triggered both yellow and orange-level air quality advisories for much of the province Tuesday morning. Environment and Climate Change Canada says the smoke could pose both health risk and reduced visibility for Calgarians. As of 6 a.m., ECCC’s air quality health index for Calgary was at a six, which is moderate risk, but smoke can be unpredictable on many fronts from temperature to air quality to storm potential. When it comes to temperature, Calgary’s forecast high for Tuesday is 25 C. However, if the smoke becomes too thick, the sun’s solar rays will not be able to warm the surface, and temperatures could be cooler as a result. For air quality, that’s contingent on the source of the smoke and both the surface and upper winds moving all the particulate. Surface winds in Calgary Tuesday are forecast to come out of the southeast, transitioning to the northeast at around 15 – 25 km/h, but aloft, the upper air pattern is moving in a north to south direction towards Calgary, which could usher smoke in from some very active wildfire regions. Then there’s the possibility of thunderstorms later this evening at around 9 p.m. If smoke is light to moderate, it can enhance certain storm processes such as lightning and cloud development due to the fine ash particles water vapor can latch onto and then are carried up higher into the sky increasing instability. If the smoke is too dense, it will act like a blanket and prevent storms from developing all together. So, there are a lot of variables at play today with the smoke, but with the advisories in effect, it is best to limit your time outdoors, especially if you have health issues or a weaker immune system. Looking ahead to the rest of the work week, temperatures will continue to rise, which could set the stage for heat warnings to be issued for southern Alberta later in the week when highs are slated to hit the low thirties for several days with overnight lows in the mid-teens.
