Wildfires in Alaska and Canada causing haze, orange moon

NORTH IOWA – The hazy sky and orange moon we have observed in North Iowa is due to Alaskan and Canadian forest fires.

Some have taken notice of the light haze, the semi-obscured sun and the orange moon North Iowa has enjoyed for the past day or so. According to the U.S. Air Quality Weblog (USAQ), this phenomenon is being caused by moderate to heavy smoke produced from Canadian and Alaskan wildfires that have continued to burn. USAQ is a daily diary of air quality in the U.S. prepared using information from satellites, ground-based measurements, and models.

These collected data show a huge band of smoke starting over Canada and Alaska (where fires are burning) and moving south through the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa, Missouri, and as far south as Arkansas.

USAQ said these wildfires produced an optically thick area of smoke that was moving to the southeast.  Currently, Iowa is mostly enjoying a light smoke coverage.  Heavier smoke can be found west and north of here.

The haze likely will not lift until the wildfires are extinguished or winds push the smoke elsewhere.  There is no immediate health risks associated with the light smoke cover, however, wildfiretoday.com reported that University of Iowa researchers found in a study that the smoke can cause more and stronger tornados.  Supposedly, the smoke can “lower the base of the clouds and increased wind shear, defined as wind speed variations with respect to altitude. Together, those two conditions increased the likelihood of more severe tornadoes.”