Kansas City’s skies have been hazy this week. Where is the smoke coming from?
The skies over Kansas City will likely be a bit hazier Thursday with maybe a hint of a smoky smell to the air, according to the National Weather Service.
But don’t blame the city’s famous barbecue for the conditions. Rather, look north — farther north to Canada.
Wildfires are raging across Canada and sending smoke billowing across western Canada. That smoke is making its way south into the United States. In the Kansas City area, you may have noticed the skies being a bit more hazy.
Satellite images from Wednesday showed the smoke over the upper Midwest, with a distinctive line cutting across Missouri.
“Skies will continue to be a bit hazy for the next few days,” the national weather service said in its area forecast discussion.
The smoke is creating some unhealthy air quality conditions in Kansas City for groups sensitive to air pollution, including for people with heart or lung disease, as well as older adults, children and teens, according to AirNow.gov. The primary pollution is tiny particles or droplets in the air which causes skies to appear hazy when the particles are elevated.
For those unusually sensitive to particle pollution, they should consider reducing their activity level or shortening the amount of time they are active outdoors. For others, it is okay to be out enjoying outdoor activities.
To see how the smoke is spreading across Canada and the United States, check out AirNow.gov’s Fire and Smoke Map.
There will be a chance for scattered rain showers and a few thunderstorms overnight Thursday into Friday morning. No severe weather is possible.
“This won’t be a drought-busting rain,” the national weather service said on Twitter. “Showers linger into Friday AM. Seasonal temps, dry, and low humidity this weekend.”
Temperatures are expected to be in the low 80s Thursday, and the 70s to low 80s on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
