With the air quality listed as unhealthy in general since before sunrise and unhealthy for sensitive groups for several hours earlier in the morning, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued an air quality alert for the state.
KDHE says smoke from Canadian wildfires is filtering across central and eastern Kansas, and those conditions may well continue through much of Saturday. With those conditions in place, KDHE has several tips for getting through the first half of the weekend:
*Healthy people should limit or avoid strenuous outdoor exercise.
*More vulnerable people should remain indoors.
*Help keep indoor air clean by closing doors and windows and running air conditioners with air filters.
*Stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.
*Contact your doctor if you have symptoms such as chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath or severe fatigue.
Residents can track the Air Quality Index by city or ZIP code online at fire.airnow.gov.
4:45 am Friday: Smoke from Canadian wildfires already noticed Friday
Weather conditions will be surprisingly nice for early August on Friday — aside from one feature.
Smoky conditions will be noticeable at times Friday — including before sunrise, when AirNow.gov listed the local air quality as either “unhealthy” or “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” The National Weather Service says the smoke is coming from large wildfires in Canada and the smoke concentration near ground level will be highest Friday before lessening through the upcoming weekend. The latest report from Natural Resources Canada says the number of fires is below normal, but the area burned has been much larger than the country’s 10-year average.
Meanwhile, after a high of 81 Thursday, there should be a high of 82 Friday with abundant sunshine. Saturday should have a high of 82 with sun, while Sunday has clouds, a slight chance of storms and a high of 81. High temperatures could hold in the low 80s again Monday with a slight chance of storms before highs climb to the low 90s by Wednesday.
