Milwaukee is finally free of wildfire smoke – for now, at least.
Aiden Kuroski, a National Weather Service meteorologist, told the Journal Sentinel that wildfire smoke is no longer a significant concern in the forecast, and it appears the area where the problematic wildfires were burning has calmed down.
The weather service uses monitoring systems that look for surface smoke. If there is a fire, a hotspot will appear right above where it’s burning.
“There’s not even a hotspot over there,” Kuroski said Tuesday morning, July 21. “The concern might be largely mitigated.”
However, Kuroski said as long as there are wildfires burning, the risk of smoke remains for Milwaukee and the rest of Wisconsin.
A Canadian government map shows active wildfires in southern Quebec and northern Minnesota are burning “out of control.” NASA tracks wildfires and the agency’s online map also shows fires in Minnesota and Canada.
It can be difficult to forecast smoky conditions, Kuroski warned. A change in wind direction could quickly blow smoke back to the region.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee wildfire smoke clears, but risk remains as wildfires burn
Reporting by Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Blaise Mesa, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
