Calgary’s lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer

Expect things to get a bit hazy in Calgary, this week.

The city, and much of southern Alberta remains under a special weather advisory for smoky conditions, thanks to a southwest wind blowing in from British Columbia and Washington State, where large wildfires burn.

“We’ve got a flow of the upper levels coming straight from the southwest, which is going to draw warm air into Alberta, but it’s also going to draw in the forest fire smoke,” meteorologist David Spence confirmed.

He said the smoke could cause problems for some people.

“Those with respiratory problems might want to pay close attention to air quality reports, because as the smoke thickens up in the afternoon, we could be, for some people, into some pretty sensitive territory,” Spence said. He added most Calgarians should get through the haze without issue.

Calgary EMS and Alberta Health Services advise those with respiratory conditions to heed to the regular tips: reduce strenuous outdoor activities, stay indoors and drink lots of fluid.

The message is mirrored for members of the general public experiencing air-quality related symptoms like shortness of breath or throat irritation.

Monday’s forecast is for heavy smoke by early afternoon. Environment Canada suggests there is still uncertainty as to how concentrated the smoke will be at the surface, but there could be significant reductions in visibility and air quality

“Obviously the more smoke that comes down to the ground, the hazier it will be. One thing it will definitely produce, no matter what level the smoke is at, is some pretty orange sunrises and sunsets,” and he added, those colourful horizons could continue for a few days.

When it comes to the province’s wildfire situation, the outlook appears good.

A low-moderate wildfire rating in Alberta can be attributed to hard work by fire crews, and a little help from Mother Nature.

Currently, all fires are under control, but Wildfire Information Officer Janelle Lane said it’s a welcome change.

“It’s a nice break to what we’ve experienced through most of the summer,” Lane told 660 NEWS, “Right now, we’re sitting at over 1600 [fires] for the year, and this time last year, and the five year average, is just over 1200.”

She added thanks to the continued controlled status, “we have firefighters in Montana and Idaho. We just had some firefighters return from Northwest Territories. The lower wildfire hazard in Alberta has allowed us to spare some of our firefighters to help out our neighbours.”

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