Canadian Wildfire Smoke Cancels A Big Concert In Wisconsin

I often merge my passion for weather, climate, science, sports, and music in my writing. This piece is one of those moments. Wildfires continue to ravage parts of Quebec and Ontario, and prevailing wind patterns are funneling the smoke into the United States again. On Tuesday, Chicago had the worst air quality in the world, and Detroit was infamously in second place. At the time of writing, air quality levels are dangerously high in the Midwest, and such conditions are creeping eastward. Two of my favorite bands, Garbage and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, were scheduled to play Madison, Wisconsin tonight. They just cancelled the show, and it was the right call.

NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center discussion on Wednesday said, “….Wildfire smoke from Canada will reduce air quality over parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes, Western Ohio Valley, Central Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic, prompting Air Quality Warnings over the area.” It feels like we just saw this movie a few weeks ago in the Northeast. Oh, wait, we did.

The air quality index is in dangerously high territory for much of the eastern United States. Because of health implications, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Garbage, two very popular bands, had to cancel their Madison, Wisconsin show for Wednesday night. While I am sure fans will be disappointed, it is probably the right call, and I salute the bands for putting the health interests of its fans first.

The smoke hazard across affected regions is particulary bad for vulnerable populations, people with certain medical conditions, and communities of color. For this reason, I was surpised to see many sporting events and other outdoor activities proceed without hesitation yesterday.

As the week progresses, air quality conditions will continue to be a health hazard for much of the eastern half of the country. To make matters worse, much of the country will also be dealing with triple digit temperature conditions this Fourth of July weekend. Like smoke, heat is also a health hazard that many people often overlook or downplay.

The Canadian fires are also affecting Europe. NASA’s Earth Observatory website noted, “Smoke from wildland fires, which have been burning in the Canadian province of Quebec for weeks, has crossed the Atlantic Ocean and darkened skies in southwestern Europe.”

One of the biggest hits by the group Garbage, which had to cancel its show because of smoke, is “Only Happy When It Rains.” Given the smoke engulfing parts of the nation and Europe, those regions certainly could use some rain. Unfortunately, changing climate will likely amplify the presence of wildfire activity, degraded air quality, and extreme heat. We seem to be getting a practice run this month on how to deal with the immediate and distant future.