Noxious wildfire smoke from Canada will infiltrate the U.S. through the north this weekend, just as African dust clouds approach from the east. They have nothing to do with the Trump tariffs and might not be as ominous as it sounds, but their presence will be noticeable.
Meteorologists are especially keeping track of the smoke, emanating from wildfires in Canadian territory from British Columbia to Manitoba, which have the potential to cause health problems in American soil.
Smoke has already been detected drifting in through Montana, North Dakota and northern Minnesota, where air quality alerts have been issued. The smoke is expected to spread across the upper Midwest on Friday and Saturday before heading southeast, where cloud cover would minimize its impact.
While not on the same scale as the spring and summer of 2023, when 800-plus Canadian wildfires burned more than 40 million acres and blanketed large swaths of the U.S. Midwest and East with a gray haze, the current spate of approximately 150 blazes will have an extended impact across the border as the wind blows southeast.
Major population areas in and around Chicago and Milwaukee will likely be in the smoke’s path, and possibly Detroit and Indianapolis as well.
