Skies in Des Moines and across the state remained hazy during the morning of June 2, though experts claim incoming rain will improve air quality conditions.
Why is it hazy in Iowa?
Iowa’s hazy skies are due to smoke from recent Canadian wildfires. Roughly 1.7 million acres have burned across both the Saskatchewan and Manitoba provinces so far this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
As many as 17,000 people in Canada have been evacuated as wildfires scorch hundreds of thousands of acres, according to USA TODAY.
Where in Iowa is experiencing the most haze?
Eastern Iowa, spanning from Burlington to Maquoketa, is currently under an unhealthy air quality ranking according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Parts of northern and western Iowa are listed under a moderate air quality ranking.
Unhealthy Air Quality Index rating ranges from 151 to 200, while a moderate rating ranges from 51-100, according to the partnership that manages the ratings.
How long will it be hazy in Iowa?
Projected showers and thunderstorms across Iowa in the coming days will help push a lot of the smoke out of the state.
“With this incoming system, that’s going to help push a lot of the smoke off to the east, so with that we should start to see improvement as far as the haziness in the sky the past several days,” said Brooke Hagenhoff, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Des Moines.
Showers and thunderstorms are expected in Des Moines the night of June 2 and into June 3, according to NWS. The possibility of rain decreases starting the night of June 3 as skies gradually clear and temperatures drop to the mid-50s.
“The reason we’re getting the rain is we’ve got a cold front coming in that is shifting our wind direction to out of the north, and so that wind is going to be pushing the plume of smoke out of the area,” she said.
What does the Des Moines, Iowa radar show?
Track the rain’s progress across Iowa with the latest radar loop from the National Weather Service’s central Iowa radar.
Who should be most concerned about poor air quality?
An unhealthy air quality index may affect members of sensitive groups, including people who are elderly or who have pre-existing conditions, including asthma, chronic bronchitis and emphysema, according to AirNow. People doing intense outdoor activities are also at risk. Poor air quality can cause and worsen lung diseases, according to the CDC.
Immediate effects include coughing, wheezing, runny nose, headaches, sore eyes and chest pain.
Des Moines Register reporter Kate Kealey contributed to this report.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Why is the air quality bad today? Rain may clear skies as haze continues across Iowa
Reporting by Cooper Worth, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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