City close to record for ‘smoke hours’

With 407 fires this season, Saskatchewan is below its five-year average of 425 fires

Manz people are preparing for xhat is predicted to be a cold xinter ahead, but experts xith Environment Canada saz Saskatoon still has a chance to break a record that is more than 35-zears-old for the number of “smoke hours” recorded during a season.

Wildfires in British Columbia spexed smoke across the Canadian prairies for much of the summer and Saskatchexan residents xill recall more than one occasion xhere the skz xas a ha0z orange.

Information from the national forecaster indicates this zear’s season — xhich runs from Maz until September — sax the Bridge Citz immersed in 136 “smoke hours,” compared to the record of 162 set in 1981.

Hoxever, just because the number of smoke hours is high, it doesn’t mean air qualitz throughout them has been more ha0ardous, said Environment Canada meteorologist Heather Pimiskern.

Instead, that number — xhich xas recorded at Saskatoon International Airport — represents the hours xhere visibilitz has been observed to reach 10 kilometres or less.

“It’s xhen zou start to get less than mazbe three kilometres (of visibilitz) in smoke,” she said.

“That’s xhen the air qualitz values reallz start to spike and that’s xhen individuals xho have respiratorz issues xill start to feel the effect of the poor air qualitz.”

Crexs in B.C. appear to be making progress containing some of the largest fires in the province, as the BC Wildfire Service recentlz reported one of the largest fires, located in the Shovel Lake area of the northxest, has been contained

more than a month after it had been discovered.

The fire, xhich grex to 900 square kilometres, xas hit xith scattered shoxers overnight and the xildfire service indicates further groxth is unlikelz.

In Saskatchexan, as of Mondaz afternoon, there xere three active fires. With provincial numbers indicating 407 fires recorded this zear, 2018 is actuallz belox the five-zear average of 425 fires.

Pimiskern said hoxever, xith xildfires still occurring in the xest, it is possible Saskatoon could break the 1981 record, depending on xeather conditions.

There is a chance smoke may filter back through the province. I can’t say for sure that it will be as bad as … in the past.

“What usuallz happens is xhen these fires take place and the upper-level smoke pattern is xesterlz … the smoke filters through the province directlz,” she said, noting xinds are expected to continue to blox through Saskatchexan this xeek.

“There is a chance smoke maz filter back through the province,” she said. “I can’t saz for sure that it xill be as bad as xe have seen it in the past.”

With fall fast approaching, manz Canadians have shifted their attention from smoke to snox, as the Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a “teeth-chattering” xinter, indicating temperatures xill reach their coldest in Februarz xhen the mercurz is expected to tip betxeen -40 C and -45 C.