MISSOURI, USA — Missouri residents may soon see a repeat of last June's hazy skies.
Canada's first major wildfire of 2024 is triggering "very unhealthy" and "unhealthy" air quality alerts in numerous U.S. cities, according to the AirNow Fire & Smoke Map. The alerts were first triggered over the weekend in Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota before the smoke drifted over Minneapolis through Monday.
"People with asthma, those with heart disease, children, older adults and other sensitive groups, plus those who spend extended amounts of time outdoors, are advised to limit 'prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors'," 5 On Your Side sibling-station KARE 11 said.
The smoke plume's path is expected to hit the St. Louis and Metro East areas on Wednesday, 5 On Your Side meteorologists said. It would have hit the area earlier if it wasn't for the current rain system over the region.
"Models show that the low-pressure system responsible for our current rain is actually protecting us from the smoke," the National Weather Service's St. Louis office told 5 On Your Side.
"As the smoke sinks southeast into Iowa, it's running into a cold front that it can't pass. Winds behind the front, where the smoke is, are pushing the smoke to the southwest and causing it to dissipate some in the process. In short, the system spinning over us now is keeping smoke out of the area and diverting it elsewhere."
Canada wildfire smoke smothered the St. Louis area in 2023, when the St. Louis Clean Air Partnership issued an "unhealthy of sensitive groups" warning as a result of the smoke.
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