Canadian wildfire smoke to spread haze, dangerous air quality across Great Lakes, Northeast

Key Points:

• A series of wildfires across western Ontario and northern Minnesota is producing thick smoke plumes, leading to extremely hazardous air quality over the Great Lakes and Northeast through Thursday.
• The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre reports 46 wildfires out of control in Ontario, while Minnesota faces intensifying fires amid a persistent heat dome causing record temperatures.
• Air Quality Alerts have been issued in northeastern Minnesota, and smoke is expected to cause milky, hazy skies and reduced visibility across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes starting Wednesday.
• The smoke plume is forecasted to reach the Interstate 95 corridor by Wednesday evening, affecting cities like Boston, New York City, and Philadelphia, potentially causing air quality to become very unhealthy.
• The worsening air quality coincides with an intensifying heat dome over the Northeast, potentially replicating the severe smoke conditions seen during the June 2023 event.