The Suomi NPP satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument captured a look at multiple wildfires in Canada with smoke rising up and traveling along the jet stream across several provinces. The jet stream which is like a “conveyor belt” for air traveling from west to east in North America can bring wildfire smoke from its origins on the West Coast all the way to the East in a matter of days. The smoke can cause hazy conditions in areas where the jet stream travels and cause adverse reactions to those with respiratory issues. Residents in these areas should check the local forecast for air quality.
Is there an upside to take away from this? A very small one. For photographers and those who favor striking sunsets, the smoke particles from the fires allow sunlight’s longer wavelength colors like red and orange to get through while blocking the shorter wavelengths of yellow, blue and green. Those longer wavelengths give the sky a red or orange tinted appearance.
NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz, MODIS Rapid Response Team. Caption: NASA/Goddard, Lynn Jenner