Boston’s skyline was shrouded in an ominous yellow glow Wednesday.
A thick plume of smoke from wildfires burning in Canada and northern Minnesota coated the New England region, causing poor air quality and dramatic sepia lighting.
Since the smoke moved in Tuesday, residents across the state and elsewhere have craned their necks to look up, stare at the sun and take photographs of it. In some places, the sun was barely visible behind the smokescreen. At other times, it appeared like a neon red fireball.
The Boston skyline along the Charles River as seen around noon on Wednesday as wildfire smoke from Canada creates a yellow haze. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)
Air quality alerts were issued for most of the Northeast. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection said the skies contain a moderately unhealthy amount of particulate pollution, which will be troubling for sensitive groups, including those with asthma, COPD and other respiratory issues.
Meteorologist Danielle Noyes said New Englanders should brace themselves for another heavy wave of smoke Thursday afternoon. Unlike Tuesday, more of this thick smoke will blanket the area at the ground-level, meaning anyone who heads outside will likely smell it permeate the air.
On the bright side, National Weather Service meteorologist Caitlyn Mensch said the smoke held off an expected stretch of high heat.
“Temperatures are definitely rising at a slower rate than was originally forecast, and because of that, we have, in some areas, taken down the heat advisory just because that smoke has limited how quickly the temperatures rose.”
And, as Noyes previously reported, smoke particles scatter blue light, which means people can bank on being dazzled by stunner sunrises and sunsets.
Here’s what it looks like in Boston and across the region on Wednesday:
The sun peeks through the clouds in Boston on Wednesday morning. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)A view of the State House under the yellow haze. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)The Prudential Tower in the yellow haze caused by wildfires in Canada around noon on Wednesday. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Haze from wildfire smoke over Storrow Drive in Boston on Wednesday. (Steven Davy/WBUR)A person runs along the Charles River on Memorial Drive on Wednesday. (Jesse Costa/WBUR)Day breaks in Copley Square on Wednesday as some smoke starts to coat the sun. (Steven Davy/WBUR)A yellowish sky from Canadian wildfires forms the backdrop for a Ferris wheel that spins at Pier 5 in the Boston Seaport on July 14. (John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Got any foreboding or spectacular photographs to share of the smoke-filled air? Share them with us at acreamer@bu.edu, and we may publish them in another photos post.
