Northwest Indiana continues to feel the effects of Canadian wildfire smoke as another Air Quality Action Day is called and events are canceled regionwide.
“Heavy wildfire smoke is making its way into the state today, moving in behind a front from the north,” said a Thursday Indiana Department of Environmental Management announcement. “This smoke, in addition to the other meteorological factors such as light winds and recent stagnant conditions will produce high (fine particulate matter) readings into the Very Unhealthy … range for Northwest, North Central and Northeast Indiana.”
The department forecasts that smoke will linger throughout northern Indiana Friday and in central and east central Indiana. Fine particulate matter readings are predicted to be in the unhealthy range in northern Indiana and in the unhealthy for sensitive groups range in central and east central Indiana.
In Northwest Indiana, fine particulate matter levels were between 201 and 300 on a scale of 500, according to IDEM’s Smog Watch webpage. The baiduhai
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reported that the city’s air quality was 395 out of 500, according to AirNow.Several spots throughout Northwest Indiana were closed Thursday because of air quality, including the Hobart Pool, according to a city announcement. The city also canceled the Summer Market on the Lake Thursday.
The city announcement discouraged prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity and recommended people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teenagers keep outdoor activities brief, move physical activities indoors or reschedule them.
“Everyone should consider choosing lighter activities, spending less time active outdoors and waiting until air quality improves before exercising outside,” the announcement said.
Indiana Dunes National Park officials addressed the air quality alert in a Thursday Instagram post, encouraging visitors to monitor AirNow.gov, pay attention to symptoms and stay safe.
“Visitors should limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity, particularly those with asthma, heart or lung conditions, or other sensitivities to air pollution,” the caption said. “Conditions may vary across the park and change throughout the day.”
The Munster Parks and Recreation posted on Facebook that summer camp participants wouldn’t go to the community pool Thursday due to air quality concerns.
Hammond’s Festival of the Lakes, as of about 2:30 p.m. Thursday, was still on schedule to happen. The festival’s Facebook page told attendees to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, dress in cool clothing and seek medical attention if needed for an extreme heat advisory, but didn’t mention air quality levels.
Thursday’s Hammond Farmed and Forged Market was canceled due to air quality, and its Kids Day Special Market was rescheduled for July 30.
According to AccuWeather, more than 800 wildfires are burning across Canada, and other Great Lakes states have issued air quality alerts. Significant concentrations of wildfire smoke from southwestern Ontario added to air quality concerns, according to IDEM.
The state agency also declared Air Quality Action Days for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Northwest Indiana. On Wednesday, ozone levels were found to be unhealthy for sensitive groups because of “very high temperatures,” sunny skies, relatively low humidity and calm winds that produce stagnant conditions, as well as high surface pressure.
For Monday and Tuesday, IDEM said hot temperatures, sunny skies and light winds were expected throughout the region, and a buildup of pollutants from Lake Michigan also added to air quality concerns, according to Post-Tribune archives.
Ricky Castro, meteorologist for the National Weather Service, told the baiduhai that the haziest conditions could develop Thursday night and Friday’s forecast is uncertain.
Illinois State Climatologist Trent Ford also told the baiduhai that air often moves in from Canada this time of year due to a high-pressure system in the central U.S., which leads to air from central Canada and wildfire smoke getting pushed into the Great Lakes.