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Does anyone find it smoky in Brandon today or know what is causing the haze?

Don't know what's different with today and yesterday compared to the last time we had this kind of smoke a few weeks ago, but it sure seems to burn my eyes!

From http://kamala.cod.edu/Canada/latest.focn45.CWWG.html  
[i]"SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS SUBSTANTIAL SMOKE ALOFT OVER SASKATCHEWAN AND MANITOBA. THE TWO LARGEST FIRES, ONE NORTH OF PRINCE ALBERT NATIONAL PARK AND ANOTHER NORTH OF BUFFALO NARROWS, ARE SENDING THE HEAVIEST PLUMES INTO EXTREME EASTERN SASKATCHEWAN AND THE WESTMAN AREA OF MANITOBA. THE SMOKESHOULD ALSO LIMIT CONVECTION IN SK AND MB.   "[/i]

If you hit animate on the link below you can see how widespread it is and how it's hitching a ride all the way down here:

http://weather.gc.ca/satellite/animateweb_e.html?imagetype=satellite&imagename=goes_wcan_visible_m_..................jpg&nbimages=1&clf=1

 
Edited by Adam, 2015-06-28 19:46:23

From Environment Canada, another round of smoke is on the way for Thursday as winds shift. Conflicting info for Friday depending on whether you go by the special weather statement Env Canada has out that I've pasted below (says winds should favourably shift Saturday) or the forecast (which is calling for Friday to be sunny)  
 
From the Env Canada link below:  
----------  
4:11 PM CDT Wednesday 01 July 2015  
Special air quality statement in effect for:  
 
Brandon - Carberry - Treherne  
Increasing smoke in Manitoba Thursday.  
 
While hazy conditions persist across the province today, a second round of thicker smoke is expected to move into Manitoba Thursday. As winds turn more northwesterly through the day, much of the province will once more be downwind of the on-going fires in Northern Saskatchewan. Areas closest to the Saskatchewan border will again be the most affected by reduced visibilities and poor air quality values. Smoky conditions are expected to continue on Friday before winds across Manitoba begin to turn southerly on Saturday.  
 
http://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?mb7#318cwwg  
-----------  
 
Link below puts into perspective what the fires are doing to parts of Saskatchewan, which has over 4000 people being housed in evacuation centres:  
http://www.newstalk650.com/story/wildfire-evacuee-numbers-top-4000-canada-day/565365  
 

The website Wunderground has a detailed interactive map that lets you see areas that are under various levels of smoke cover (link below). Looks like you might be able to get out of the worst of it by the time you get to Bismarck-ish right now?  
http://wxug.us/1prd5  
 
NASA has put out a couple of hi-res satellite shots too. The first, from Tuesday, shows it well into the interior US:  
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/saskatchewan-forest-fire-smoke-extends-deep-into-united-states-1.3134053  
 
And this posting from this morning shows the US East Coast now being effected:  
http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/canadian-smoke-now-over-us-east-coast

Northwest wind (and smoke) really looks to have picked up in the last little bit. A page with good info is the Environment Canada Air Quality Health Index page for Brandon. Their current reading now has us as a 5 (the lower the number, the better the air quality). The day started at a 2 and FWIW they forecast us to be a 4 tonight and tomorrow. A 5 rating they associate with "moderate risk".... saying that unless you are a part of the at-risk segment of the population there's "no need to modify your usual outdoor activities unless you experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation." .  
 
More info including how they define "at risk" at:  
http://weather.gc.ca/airquality/pages/mbaq-002_e.html  
 
Also not a big surprise but it looks like the forecast for tomorrow and tomorrow night has been upgraded to include the same widespread smoke we're seeing today. Environment Canada still expecting some improvement Saturday.  
 
and another story that updates the situation in Saskatchewan itself where 116 fires are burning. Over 5000 people are now registered in evacuation centres.... in total 51 towns, villages and reserves are evacuated or partially evacuated:  
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/fires-smoke-force-5000-out-of-homes-in-northern-saskatchewan-one-house-lost/article25230285/  
 
Edited by Adam, 2015-07-02 17:04:26

make that a 10 with the 9pm reading, the upper end of the high risk category. The scale only accounts for one more level past 10.  
 
Updated air quality statement put out by Environment Canada a little over a half hour ago is pasted below:  
 
---------------------------  
[i]9:26 PM CDT Thursday 02 July 2015  
Special air quality statement in effect for:  
 
Brandon - Carberry - Treherne  
Smoke in Manitoba continues tonight.  
 
Northwesterly winds continue to bring thicker smoke from the on-going fires in Northern Saskatchewan into Manitoba. Areas closest to the Saskatchewan border will be the most affected by reduced visibilities and poor air quality values.  
 
In Northern Manitoba, conditions have improved Thursday evening but are expected to deteriorate once again with smoke returning Friday afternoon. In Southern Manitoba, smoky conditions are expected to continue on Friday before winds across Manitoba begin to turn southerly on Saturday.[/i]  
 
https://weather.gc.ca/warnings/report_e.html?mb7#318cwwg  
----------------------------

Forecasted to return today with a shift in wind. For anyone that didn't catch yesterday, Cklq did a story in which they quoted an Environment Canada rep as saying that this could potentially be an off and on situation for the rest of the summer:  
http://www.cklq.com/index.php?id=62&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=8429&cHash=fd48b838269a15b5283a0901132250e4  
 
In Saskatchewan, evacuees are now over 13000 in what is being called that provinces biggest ever evacuation effort. The total area burning is said to be 10x what would be typical in the average year:  
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/unprecedented-wildfires-force-out-13-000-sask-evacuees-1.3139554