Smoke from wildfires in Canada has been visible in New England recently, but it hadn't affected air quality locally until Tuesday.
That's because the smoke filtering into our air his much lower in the sky than it has been, since it's coming from a different part of Canada. Before, the haze was generated from wildfires burning in Alberta, in midwestern Canada, but this smoke is coming from wildfires in Nova Scotia, just 300 miles northeast of Boston.
Driven by a southwestern wind, that smoke brought a different level of haze to the area, especially in coastal southern New England, along with the smell of smoke. It was enough to prompt an air quality alert Tuesday.
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People with asthma or other respiratory illnesses may not want to spend much time outside until the alert passes — the smoky air is expected to move out by midday Wednesday.
The smoke is visible on satellite images shared by the National Weather Service:
While the smoke in the air may be adding an overcast tint to the skies over New England, it may make Tuesday's sunset and Wednesday's sunrise much more colorful.
