Smoke from Interior Wildfires Brings Haze to Southcentral

Smoke from fires in Central Alaska is making its way over the Alaska Range into South Central Alaska. The current hazy skies in the Upper Susitna Valley are a result of these fires. 

There will be an increase in smoke and smog through Wednesday evening, before wind direction changes on Thursday. However, the region will continue to experience impacts to air quality and visibility over the few days. Generally, conditions will be worse during the night and morning hours. As the atmosphere cools, it brings smoke to the surface. During the day, heat carries smoke upwards. 

Travelers are advised to check local weather, as smoke conditions may vary considerably from one area to the next. Information can be found on the Federal Aviation Administration Weather Cams homepage at weathercams.faa.gov/. 

In smoke-affected areas, the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) advises at-risk populations—people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children—to avoid prolonged exertion. Everyone else should limit prolonged exertion.

For information on this advisory, contact Mark Smith with the Division of Air Quality at 907-269-7676.