Canadian wildfire smoke is transporting into the Pacific Northwest (PNW) this week due to wildfires burning in western Canada through Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. This smoke is being transported due to a high-pressure system over the eastern Pacific Ocean steering the smoke into many states throughout the PNW.  

Satellite view of the wildfire smoke (orange outline highlighting wildfire smoke and haze) moving into the PNW.

While the wildfire smoke and haze are clearly visible from a satellite view, only some of the smoke is reaching the surface. Most of the smoke is staying higher up in the atmosphere. The OpenSnow air quality map is showing some pollution throughout the PNW. 

The wildfires burning through western Canada have been ongoing over the last couple of months, but west-to-east winds have prevented smoke from entering the PNW. The winds in the atmosphere have changed and are now blowing north-to-south, thus moving wildfire smoke into the PNW. 

Location of Canadian wildfires and the size/category of the fire. The location of the wildfires affecting the PNW is highlighted in orange. Image courtesy of Natural Resources Canada.

There are numerous wildfires burning throughout Canada but the area highlighted above are the main sources of the smoke in the PNW. A high-pressure system is located over the Pacific Ocean along the coast of North America, and as the winds flow clockwise around the weather system, north-to-south winds are blowing over the wildfires and transporting the smoke.  

Here is a look at the ECMWF (Euro) model’s forecast of mid-level winds in the atmosphere for Wednesday, July 5th. The high-pressure system with the clockwise winds around it and the approximate wildfire locations are highlighted. 

How long will the smoke last?

The wildfire smoke is forecasted to last for a couple more days but the worst of the smoke is behind us. The high-pressure system along the coast will gradually dissipate and move further east over the coming days. As this weather pattern over the PNW changes, the winds in the atmosphere will shift and blow west-to-east by Saturday, July 8th. 

OpenSnow surface smoke map forecast for Thursday afternoon, July 6th. 

The OpenSnow smoke map shows some of the dissipation (especially by Friday, July 7th) as the winds shift and keep the wildfire smoke in Canada. The forecast for the weekend and next week beginning on Monday, July 10th looks similar with west-to-east winds blowing over the PNW, keeping smoke in Canada.

These winds will be associated with a storm system tracking into British Columbia and southern Alaska. The storm system is expected to bring some rain but it is still unclear how much rain can move inland over the mountains, where a majority of the wildfires are located. 

Here is a look at the ECMWF (Euro) model’s 5-day forecast of precipitation (inches) from Friday, July 7th to Tuesday, July 11th. The approximate locations of most wildfires in western Canada are highlighted in red.

Additional precipitation is possible continuing next week past Tuesday, July 11th, which would continue to help wildfire fighting operations and limit future smoke transport. One complication with the forecasted precipitation is some of it will come from thunderstorms, which causes precipitation to be localized and brings the possibility of ignition or reignition of wildfires. This incoming rain is still welcome news!  

Keep checking back on our News articles for more updates this summer and keep a tab on the OpenSnow smoke map or other maps for the latest conditions. 

Zach Butler