OT: How's the air out there?

[Winston Psmith]

This one is pretty much for members in and around the mainland U.S., and parts of Canada. Not looking to exclude anyone, but you'll see . . .

 

I've been having a pretty good season of landscape work, after a perfectly lousy Winter: "The Sound Of Things Falling Apart", as Devo's old motto went. At any rate, the last few days, going out to tend to my landscaping work, the air has been pretty nasty. Yesterday was right on the line between Code Red and Code Purple, for air quality; not a good thing, overall. I don't work with a mower/blower crew, so I'm not hauling my own personal pollution engine around with me during the day, but still . . .

 

In every other regard, yesterday should have beeline of those rare, perfect early Summer days, mid to upper 70's, sunny, the kind of day where people should call in to work and say they're too well to waste the day indoors. Instead, we got Code Red warnings, and people wearing N95 masks to go outdoors.

 

Today, it's even worse. I went to let my dogs out around 6 AM, well before morning rush hour begins, and the air smelled like burning tires. I could see low-lying smoke everywhere, and the Sun was a perfectly round, red-orange ball, dim enough that I could look straight at it without any discomfort. Even now, more like 8 AM, it's pretty hazy out, and while the Sun is somewhat brighter, it still looks more like late afternoon/early evening than morning. Several people interviewed in the morning paper compared it to Mars. I'll have to take their word for it.

 

FWIW, D.C. doesn't really have much in the way of heavy industry. Throughout much of the Spring, the pollen count was high enough to rate a mention in the evening Weather report. I expect a lot of closures and cancellations today, and we're not in the worst of it.

 

So, how's the air wherever you are right now?

 

[RABid]

Canada! Enough already. Stop contributing to global warming!

 

We are getting smoke in Eastern Kentucky. It is a lot worse in Western Kentucky. Not as bad as New York. The rain yesterday did help.

[desertbluesman]

Weather is excellent here in the lovely Sonoran Desert, much cooler and clearer than other recent years.

[Scott Fraser]

We're just waiting for it. Southern California dodged a bullet the last few years, but I've no doubt the big fires will be back with a vengeance here.

[SamuelBLupowitz]

Things were pretty horrifying in central New York yesterday -- not as bad as NYC, but close. So unsettling to look into the sky and just see a yellow haze obscuring the sun. Bunch of outdoor events in town were postponed: concerts, Pride events, the usual summer fun.

 

Seems like we're through the worst of it -- as in, the air quality index is only three times the normal level, rather than seven times. I'm still wearing an N95 outside until the air quality is something closer to normal.

[Larryz]

All clear on the western front out here in California.  We have had our share of forest fire smoke and bad air over the last few years, so I know what the people back east are having to deal with.  Sending best wishes to everyone trying to breathe and hope the smoke clears up soon! 😎

[Sharkman]

Saturday evening I drove down to Lake Erie, to take a photo of the full moon rising above the horizon.  It was sunny all day, so I figured I would finally have the chance to take that photo that I have been wanting to take for several year.  The full moon was supposed to rise at 9:08 p.m., but at 9:30, when I still could not see the moon, I gave up and drove home.  It was dull and hazy on the horizon, and no moonlight came through.   The moon was visible about an hour later, higher up in the sky.  But it looks like I'll have to wait until July 3rd to have another chance for that shot.

[o0Ampy0o]

There were major fires around here a few years ago. It was like fighting a war. The town where I work is at the edge of the mountains. There was a huge camp set up where firefighters could eat and rest. From all over the state and adjacent states hundreds of fire engines were parked lined up like readying for a military operation.

 

The atmosphere produced strange conditions. Sunsets imparted an other-worldly orange like something only seen in Sci-Fi illustrations and films. It was not any orange I had ever seen as a result of a sunset or sunrise. It made everything look so different we would have to pause and stare in astonishment.

 

At night when the moon was full enough the trees and grassy foothills looked like the artificial landscape of a model train set. The moon light and dusty / smoky air accentuated form. Everything looked unrealistically 3D, plastic and fake. Normally things appear to flatten as they recede in the distance. This is known as "Atmospheric Perspective" in art terminology. Instead, everything was unusually sharp despite the smoke and dust. It was like we were living under a dome with artificial light and an artificial landscape.

 

There was also a down feather-like white ash floating in the air and piling up collecting like snow.

 

 

 

 

[Caevan O’Shite]

Here in Upstate New York, it's been pretty bad, but it's been getting better- particularly following some rain several times. Monday, and considerably more so Tuesday, a hot, burning smell similar to sawing and power-sanding wood permeated the air, along with an undertone of overheated/burnt electronics. Just very briefly going outdoors and making short trips in a car, it actually caused my eyes, throat, windpipe and lungs to be quite irritated; it can even be smelled indoors with windows and doors shut. The daylit sky shifted from yellow to orange, particularly orange when storm-cells pass through, thundering away but not dropping any rain as far as I could tell then. Local after-school activities were cancelled.

I feel really bad for all the wildlife in those areas North of the Border...

[Caevan O’Shite]

Quick li'l update: the air here today, and the sky, are MUCH improved over how it was; there's been more rain, and I am GLAD of that!

[surfergirl]

As of this morning the volcanic smog(VOG)is moving west, away from the islands and the mainland. Unless the wind direction changes we should be ok.

[Caevan O’Shite]

3 hours ago, surfergirl said:

As of this morning the volcanic smog(VOG)is moving west, away from the islands and the mainland. Unless the wind direction changes we should be ok.

How often is that a problem where you live, Jenny? And how bad?

[surfergirl]

We're about 175 miles north and with the winds are predominantly east to west, it doesn't really affect us. But I imagine it's a lot like fires where they are affected.  Forest fires are a concern, because we are in a drought and have lots of fuel. We have the largest portion of land burned than any state.

[Caevan O’Shite]

10 minutes ago, surfergirl said:

We're about 175 miles north and with the winds are predominantly east to west, it doesn't really affect us. But I imagine it's a lot like fires where they are affected.  Forest fires are a concern, because we are in a drought and have lots of fuel. We have the largest portion of land burned than any state.

 

Glad that it doesn't tend to affect you and your family too much; however, the drought and forest fires... Damn!!

[hurricane hugo]

It's now Sunday evening here, and it's been raining for the last 7 hours so the air's nice and sparkling clean. The past week, however, was pretty bad. Not NYC bad, but my throat's still scratchy af.