It was only a matter of time before the smoke from wildfires burning to the north of us would make its way south.

Alberta continues to be under a provincial state of emergency as nearly 90 wildfires rage on in our province. 

Here in Cochrane, we can expect to see smoke throughout the day accompanied with above-seasonal temperatures. 

Natalie Hazel, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada said our southern winds will turn north.

"We have a low-pressure system, setting itself up in northern Alberta. There's a frontal structure associated with it that will sweep across the province and that's going to bring the wind shift."

Unfortunately with this change of wind, it won't bring much rain.

"They'll probably produce more lightning than anything else, which is not good because that'll just create more fires. There might be a shower somewhere with that, but it's not very encouraging."

There are a couple of days with small amounts of rain in the forecast for Cochrane in the long range forecast.

 

haze
With these hot and dry conditions, some people may be at risk, according to the Government of Canada:

  • People with an existing illness or chronic health conditions, such as:
    • cancer
    • diabetes
    • mental illness
    • lung or heart conditions
  • Seniors
  • Pregnant people
  • Infants and young children
  • People who work outdoors
  • People involved in strenuous outdoor exercise

People affected by the smoke may feel irritated eyes, increased mucus production in the nose or throat coughing and difficulty breathing especially during exercise.

To view where the current Alberta wildfires are, click HERE.

-With files from Connor May.