Air quality in Ottawa was excellent today. The Air Quality Index (AQI) was 14, with PM2.5 count at 3 microgram per cubic meter.

Yesterday the AQI was over 500 in Ottawa, with PM2.5 (Particulate Matter 2.5 micron and smaller) reaching a peak of 511 microgram per cubic meter overnight (air quality worsens at night since it’s colder). Thus, yesterday PM2.5 levels were extremely hazardous, and 170 times worse than todays normal levels. Two days ago the level was 270 micrograms per cubic meter, also very bad.

A low pressure region off the eastern coast drew the air in a counterclockwise direction, picking up the smoke from 150 wildfires in Quebec (110 out of control) and sending it southward hitting Ottawa and then moving on to the USA.

As this horrible, smoggy, yellowish orangish dystopian air moved southeasterly it hit much of the eastern USA, including the major cities New York City, Washington, Boston, Philadelphia, etc. causing record levels of air pollution.

Interestingly, the atmosphere seemed to channel the wildfire smoke into narrower corridors in the atmosphere over NYC, since the density of the smoke and the opacity of the air (orange tinge) seemed extra dystopian in NYC compared to that in Ottawa nearer the source of the wildfires.

In this video, I focus on the science of how climate change caused this dystopian event. I also discuss how vast regions of northern Canada, across the breath of the country, have had record high temperatures throughout May, with exceptionally minimal rainfall. A year ago a powerful derecho (straight line winds) levelled many trees and branches, and this dead wood provided perfect fuel for these fires.

Remember the ice storm that Ontario and Quebec had in early May? This caused 1.2 million Quebecers to lose power, mostly from falling branches and trees laden with ice. With the record spring heat and lack of rainfall since then, these dead branches and trees act as perfect fuel for creating record setting wildfires.

This is yet another example of cumulative bad stuff leading to cascading severe events in our climate casino.

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