While the Wisconsin air is overall safer than it was yesterday — the Air Quality Index in Milwaukee as of 8:30 a.m. is 118, as opposed to 157 on Aug. 4 — it's still dangerous enough to warrant an air quality alert.
The alert, which is still scheduled to end at noon Aug. 5, is at the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Unhealthy levels.
Here's what you need to know about the air quality:
When will air quality improve in Wisconsin?
Simply put, whenever the high air pressure dissipates and the wind can move the smoke elsewhere, which National Weather Service Milwaukee-Sullivan meteorologist Denny VanCleve said could happen starting Aug. 6.
The high pressure acts "like a bubble or a dome" to trap smoke, VanCleve said. He said it was the main reason why the state hasn't had relief from the smoke since July 31.
"Although the fires themselves may have been burning for a while, whether or not we're impacted by the smoke depends on the upper air pattern," VanCleve said, "and if that gets drawn down in here."
When will wildfire smoke clear in Wisconsin?
VanCleve said he was optimistic that the air quality would continue to improve over the next 24 hours as wind directions change and the high pressure dissipates.
What is the air quality today?
The air is safer Aug. 5 than Aug. 4.
But with an AQI of 118 at 8:30 a.m., it's still unhealthy for sensitive groups, including children, older adults and people with lung or heart conditions like asthma, whom the National Weather Service recommends stays inside.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources's air quality alert — which is scheduled to end at noon Aug. 5 — is still between the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups and Unhealthy levels, depending on where in the state you live.
The worst conditions are expected across northeastern Wisconsin today, while lighter impact is more likely for southwestern counties.
Why is the air quality bad in Wisconsin today?
Smoke from the wildfires that have ravaged Canada much of this year has moved south across the border, affecting air quality in several parts of the midwest and northeastern U.S.
Canada is experiencing its second-worst wildfire season on record, with almost 4,000 fires already this calendar year, according to government data.
Where are the wildfires in Canada?
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reported that more than 700 active fires were burning across Canada on Aug. 3, mostly in Manitoba, north of North Dakota and Minnesota.
The agency says more than 500 are burning out of control, forcing thousands of Canadians to evacuate their homes.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: When will Wisconsin air quality improve? When will smoke clear?
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