NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Wildfires in Canada have been fueled by record-setting temperatures all across the country. Most of the smoke and haze has been moving through the Great Lakes and Northeast regions of the United States, but a southern drop in the jet stream will bring a noticeable haze to Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky through Thursday morning. Air quality will likely reduce to “unhealthy” for sensitive groups.

Air Quality Alert

The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation is the agency responsible for issuing Air Quality Alerts, and it is then relayed through the local National Weather Service office. For Tuesday, only four counties in Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky are under an Air Quality Alert until 12 a.m. Wednesday: in Tennessee: Montgomery and Stewart counties, and in Kentucky: Christian and Trigg counties.

There are different code levels for air quality, and this is a level three code orange alert. This means particulate matter concentrations could reach or exceed unhealthy standards. People affected would be those who are outside for extremely long periods of time, and people with respiratory concerns like asthma. The request from TDEC: limit prolonged outdoor exertion.

You can view real-time air quality conditions here.

Smoke following jet stream

The jet stream is the height level that airplanes fly, which is typically around 30,000 to 35,000 feet. In the jet stream is very fast-moving wind, but it also transports weather across the globe. The wildfires in Canada has risen into the sky such that it gets transported by the jet stream into the United States. On Monday, there was a slight haze in the sky. The haze will be noticeable on Tuesday and likely very dense on Wednesday in the Mid-State.

Smoke Tracker

The forecast of smoke and haze is expected to increase a lot on Tuesday late afternoon and evening. On Wednesday with daylight, expect to see a lot of hazy conditions in our sky, decreasing late Wednesday night into Thursday morning. This will be in response to our next round of cooler and drier air to Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.