Image courtesy of NWS

Many Iowans may have noticed that the sky looks hazy in recent days.

National Weather Service of Des Moines Meteorologist Alexis Jimenez says that the haze is caused by smoke coming from areas of North America further to the west. She tells Raccoon Valley Radio how it’s getting to Iowa.

“The smoke is originating from up in Canada actually, where there are tons of wildfires occurring right now, and especially in Alberta where there are over 90 wildfires active right now. And all the smoke is just getting caught up in the regular flow of the atmosphere and moving this way, and we’ve seen it hang around here for the past couple of days.”

Jimenez mentions that air quality in Iowa, including the Raccoon Valley Radio listening area has suffered with the smoke, and residents with respiratory issues or who are sensitive to changes in air quality may be affected until that smoke dissipates. She advises that the smoke may linger through the rest of the day into tomorrow, but that could change based on how much smoke is being brought with the air coming towards the state.