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Record-breaking year in Red Deer for smoke

Expect more smoke in Red Deer Wednesday
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Conditions have been smoky this summer in Red Deer. So far, this year has been the smokiest one in the city, according to Environment Canada data, dating back to 1930s. Photo by Mamta Lulla/Advocate staff

Red Deer has set a new record for its smokiest year ever.

Dan Kulak, warning preparedness meteorologist for Environment Canada, said 228 hours of smoke have been recorded since May 1 in Red Deer, the highest number recorded since 1938.

Last year, the city recorded 198 hours of smoke, breaking a previous 61-year record of 87 smoke hours between May and September.

Between 1981 and 2010, on average, the city recorded 10 smoke hours.

“Every hour of smoke reducing visibility to six miles or less until the end of September will just add to this record, ” said the Edmonton-based meteorologist.

Kulak points to the wildfires in British Columbia and the way the winds are blowing for the record-setting smoke year.

“The wind coming from west, northwest in Alberta that’s when you will get the heaviest smoke concentration in Red Deer area.”

Environment Canada records hourly smoke data when visibility drops to 9.7 km (six miles) or less from May to September. It has been recording the data since 1938.

Red Deerians can expect more smoke tomorrow from the wildfires, said Kulak. The Air Quality Health Index, which was at three Tuesday afternoon, will be close to 10 Wednesday. Visibility will be reduced.

Friday will bring cooler temperatures with some showers. Kulak said sometimes rain can cleanse the air if they last long enough, but he doesn’t expect that to happen Friday.

“If you don’t get a long lived precipitation to wash the smoke down, a light sprinkling of rain can actually make your air quality worse.”

He said Red Deerians will be looking at smoky conditions “on and off for the next number of weeks.”

So far this year, Calgary has recorded 322 hours of smoke. In Edmonton, that number reached 168 hours.



mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com

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