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Wildfire smoke from Alaska drifting to Williams Lake area

Cariboo Fire Centre confirms there is a bit of smoke in that haze
17961292_web1_copy_190802-WLT-Smoke
While the skies above Williams Lake have been overcast pretty consistently, in the last few days some residents have wondered if there is smoke mixed in with that haze. Monica Lamb-Yorski photo

Although it has been rainy and overcast fairly consistently, the Cariboo Fire Centre confirmed Friday there is some smoke in the mix.

“The smoke that you are seeing is coming from Alaska and due to the weather patterns is causing smoke to drift into our region,” CFC fire information officer Jessica Mack told the Tribune.

Mack said residents make find the website Firesmoke helpful as it displays where smoke is originating from.

As for the weather, it is looking like Williams Lake will have a few showers or thunderstorms Friday with highs of 17C. Winds will become southwest at 20 kilometres an hour gusting up to 40 kilometres an hour.

As the weekend unfolds, the Environment Canada forecast suggests the temperatures will start to increase and other than a chance of showers on Saturday, it is looking clear and sunny from Sunday until Wednesday with highs of 21C Saturday, 24C Sunday, 26C Monday and 28C Tuesday and Wednesday.

It was a year ago at the end of the B.C. Day weekend that wildfire smoke rolled into the Williams Lake area big time, resulting in some of the worst air quality with particulate matter levels exceed 600 PM2.5.

Read more: Particulate matter levels in Williams Lake high enough to concern all

Fortunately that is not the case this summer and as of Friday, Aug. 2, the air quality of Williams Lake is sitting at low risk and is showing the same for the next few days according to the BC Air Quality Index forecast.

A total of 91.8 millimetres of rain fell in the month of July, compared to 27.2 mm in July 2018 and 0.0 mm in July 2017.



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17961292_web1_190802-WLT-SmokeMap
The website Firesmoke shows what fires smoke is originating from and where it is flowing due to weather patterns.


Monica Lamb-Yorski

About the Author: Monica Lamb-Yorski

A B.C. gal, I was born in Alert Bay, raised in Nelson, graduated from the University of Winnipeg, and wrote my first-ever article for the Prince Rupert Daily News.
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