By Ashley Legassic

California wildfire smoke could eventually make its way to Kamloops

Nov 16, 2018 | 10:21 AM

KAMLOOPS — A local air quality meteorologist says smoke from the California wildfires hasn’t made its way to Kamloops yet — but it’s possible for it to happen.

Ralph Adams tells CFJC Today that it’s certainly possible for wildfire smoke to travel from California all the way to the Southern Interior, but even if it does happen it could be difficult to nail down where the smoke is coming from.

“As far as I know no one sort of can say for sure right now that we’re seeing smoke from California,” Adams says. “There are large amounts of open burning going on in Washington and Southeastern B.C. associated with the wildfires last year, so if you look on the satellite feed there are lots of fires burning all around us so it’s hard to separate this kind of stuff.”

Communities in both southern and northern California have been devastated by massive wildfires, leaving dozens of people dead.

Adams says Santa Ana winds in California are blowing smoke from the desert out toward the west coast.

Boogie The Bridge

Boogie The Bridge Event Information

Apr 19, 2024

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Sorry - did you say, 'Take your old guns to the post office?'

1h ago

SOUND OFF

SOUND OFF: Police confirm diversion of government-supplied drugs

21h ago

“So the smoke would move out over the ocean, and there are lots of situations where that smoke could easily move back up the coast into B.C.,” he says. “At present we are not seeing that, and the smoke forecast models coming out of the American National Weather Observatory are indicating that in the next 24 hours that’s unlikely.”

Adams says air quality in Kamloops is currently good for this time of year, and with a forecast of sunny and clear weather comes low winds which could help suppress a long-range transport from the south.

“Right now we have no smoke from California in the Southern Interior, it’s unlikely for the next several days but certainly it is possible for the smoke to move that far.”