ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Surreal scenes from the northeast are going viral on social media. New York looks like it was picked up by UFO and transported to Mars. Sporting events have been canceled, and people are being told to stay indoors.
All because of months-long Canadian wildfires.
The fires have caused hazy conditions in Illinois, but is there a chance the state could be blanketed in smog that has choked the east coast?
With fires burning throughout Canada, there are ample opportunities for smoke to blow into Illinois. However, there are a couple factors working in Illinois’ favor.
- Much of the smoke shrouding the northeast is from wildfires in Quebec, which started more recently. These fires are already east of Illinois, an important note for the next factor.
- The wind tends to blow from west to east, according to WGN’s Tom Skilling. “Well away from the lake, such as at Rockford or Peoria, winds blow from a southwesterly direction (west, southwest or south) much of the time.”
Any fires east of Illinois are far less likely to cause any extraterrestrial-like conditions seen on the coast. Though conditions may be slightly hazy in Illinois from wildfires west of the state, it’s unlikely that current Canadian blazes will turn Rockford into Philadelphia.
