Saskatoon has hit record-setting hours for smoke in the air in 2023, the highest since 1953.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has administered special air quality statements for certain parts of the province once again as wildfire smoke drifts from northern Alberta, the Northwest Territories and British Columbia.
Saskatoon was listed as ‘very high risk’ on Tuesday morning, bringing the smoke hours for the city up to 181 in 2023 as of 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Regina was listed as ‘moderate risk’ on Environment Canada’s website and is sitting at 125 hours.
Environment Canada uses a visibility of 9.7 kilometres or less with the visibility being reduced to smoke to be classified as a smoke hour.
“For today it will certainly be blocking out the heat,” said Environment Canada meteorologist Terri Lang.
“It does tend to suppress our temperatures. It also tends to suppress any kind of thundershower activity we might have as well.”
According to Environment Canada’s website, conditions should improve Tuesday night, but another draft of smoke will move southwards through the province on Wednesday.
“Any component of a westerly wind, we tend to get the smoke,” Lang said. “All of the wildfires generally came from the fact that it was a dry winter, we came into a dry spring, and then we had that big heat wave that set up in early May.”
Those in a very high-risk area should avoid intense outdoor activities, especially children and the elderly.
Lang said to expect some colder temperatures on Wednesday along with gusty winds.
“It might be time to take down the patio umbrellas tonight and put away the floaty toys,” Lang said.