Air quality in Michigan has reached unhealthy levels for certain groups of people as smoke from Canadian wildfires spreads across swaths of the Midwest and the East Coast.
Walt Felver is a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids.
He says the smoke from the fires is polluting the air across the state’s Lower Peninsula.
“If you look out the window, skies' kind of white and all that. The white opaque milky sky is essentially high level smoke," he said. "High level of smoke gives you really nice sunsets, the deep oranges and red, but it also takes away the blue sky."
Felver predicts that expected rainfall over the weekend will assist in improving Michigan's air quality to safer levels.
"But if they (Canada) don't get any rain, then we're likely to see more smoke by the middle to late part of next week," he explained.
Meanwhile, Michigan's Chief Medical Executive Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian advises Michiganders to regularly monitor the national air quality index if they intend to spend time outdoors.
"If you are someone who is particularly vulnerable, meaning that you have underlying heart disease or lung disease, if you are pregnant, very young or very old, we're advising people who fall into those risk categories to avoid strenuous activity outdoors," she added.
Bagdasarian recommends heading to an emergency room if you or someone you know is having a hard time catching their breath after spending time outdoors.
She also says using air purifiers and air conditioning indoors when the air quality is worsening can be helpful. Masking outside could also be an option.
Not all parts of the state are being affected to the same degree by the smoke.
As of Thursday afternoon, Lansing had an air quality classified as unhealthy while air quality in Grand Rapids was slightly better at a moderate level, according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
