Charlotte, most of NC under air quality alert as smoke from Western wildfires arrives
Charlotte-area residents, especially those in high-risk groups, are advised to limit their time outdoors this week as smoke from Western wildfires is forecast to worsen air quality the across the region.
Mecklenburg County and most of North Carolina were placed under a Code Orange air quality alert on Wednesday. The alert will likely be in effect through midnight Thursday and could continue Friday, the National Weather Service said.
The alert means children, older adults, people with heart or lung conditions and people who are active outdoors should avoid “prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.”
An open burning ban also is in effect for areas under Code Orange, according to the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality.
Mecklenburg County’s air quality could harm residents’ health, pollution report says
Wildfire smoke can cause symptoms such as burning eyes and a runny nose, and can also aggravate heart and lung diseases, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The jet stream carried a smoky haze over Charlotte from Western states like California, Oregon and Nevada, said Doug Outlaw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The cross-country band of high-altitude winds is usually further north, but it’s dipped into the Carolinas over the past few days, bringing slightly cooler temperatures along with the smoke, Outlaw told the Observer.
This graphic is a comparison between Charlotte on a day with good conditions and Charlotte today with low air quality. The hazy skies will likely stick around over the next few days as the smoke continues to filter into the Warning Area from the wildfires out west. #ncwx #cltwx pic.twitter.com/Hebwd6RUi7
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) July 21, 2021
It’s been several years since the Carolinas have seen conditions like this, Outlaw said.
The smoke’s trajectory can be tracked online on the EPA’s Fire and Smoke Map. The jet stream is currently centered in Maryland, with northern South Carolina at its southernmost edge.
If air quality gets bad while at home, the EPA recommends using an air purifier to reduce particle levels. N-95 or P-100 masks can also help filter pollutants when venturing outdoors.
Thursday’s weather forecast calls for widespread haze before 11 a.m., then turning sunny with a high near 90. There’s a slight chance of showers with thunderstorms Friday morning before becoming mostly sunny. The highs should reach the low 90s.
AIR QUALITY ADVISORY: All of the NC Counties are in a code orange Air Quality Action Day. This is due to the smoke plumes associated with the wildfires over the western US and Canada. The Vertically Integrated Smoke puts the smoke plume over the area through the work week. #ncwx pic.twitter.com/dkZ1JMnSHR
— NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) July 21, 2021
