Smoke

[hammer]

Believe it or not the smoke is worse in Minnesota today than it was yesterday. The prevailing winds are bringing smoke from a number of wildfires in Manitoba across MN and WI.


My Saturday morning typically consists of a 1.5-2.0 hour roller ski (for those of you who don’t live in snow country roller skis are short 38-48 inch fiberglass or aluminum shafts with wheels on them that allow us to approximate cross country skiing). Fifteen minutes into the ski on the first uphill I was huffing and puffing like never before and experiencing a burning 🔥 sensation in my throat. Cut the workout short and will be using the home cycling trainer as an alternative for the next few days at least.


Talked with a Canadian colleague yesterday and his take was that the Canadian weather Godness is paying us in the U.S. back for approximately 100 years of producing acid rain that comes down on our friendly neighbors to the North.


The whole experience is providing a much greater appreciation of what those of you on the west coast go through each year.

[lbpesq]

Don’t underestimate the negative effects of fire smoke in the air.   Last summer, in the midst of the pandemic, my band practiced in my front yard, socially distanced, until the smoke from the Northern California fires forced us to stop.   Senior management and I stayed inside with the AC running.  We also taped a furnace filter to a box fan and ran it 24/7 in the living room.  After only a day, the filter turned brown.

Bill, tgo

[StephenR]

Definitely make sure to wear an N95 mask if the smoke is prevalent, it can really mess with your lungs especially if there are dwellings burning as well as timber. We stocked up on two boxes of US made N95 masks earlier this year in preparation for the inevitable smoke. Also, now own two air purifiers that are ready to go when needed. It never used to be like this every year in CA but seems to have become the new normal for the West Coast.

[hieronymous]

rv_bass posted this website for smoke:

https://fire.airnow.gov/#

I used Purple Air a lot the last couple of years when the smoke was bad here in the Bay Area - shows current local conditions:

https://www2.purpleair.com

Wish we didn't need these but better to be in the know - like Stephen, I've got a pile of N95 masks, hoping we don't need to use them too much this year...

[lbpesq]

We had a small stash of N95 masks from the last few year's smoke.  I sent them to my niece who is a doctor in NY in the early days of the pandemic when N95 masks were few and far between and selling on Amazon for their weight in gold.   I'll have to check to see if current prices have returned to reality.

Bill, tgo

[StephenR]

Hey Bill... we were at Ace Hardware on Grand Ave yesterday and they had a lot of mask choices in stock. We picked up a pack of two 3M N95 masks with the vent in preparation for smoke season. The N95 masks we bought and stashed earlier this year didn't have the vents, good for Covid but not as comfortable for hiking or walking the dog in smokey conditions. We also restocked our stash of KN95 folding masks. If the smoke comes there will be a run on masks but for now plenty available, prices may be better online but it is a good time to buy.

Most of the smoke is in the upper atmosphere today but we just got home from shopping and noticed the a bit of smoke smell.

[lbpesq]

Thanks, Stephen.  The hardware store on Grand is just down the street from my office. Think I'll run by there on the way home today.  Thanks for the head's up!   

Bill, tgo

[rv_bass]

Boulder web cam today

[cozmik_cowboy]

Boulder web cam today

Well, that's suboptimal!

All of you, take of yourselves, eh?

Peter (who is gladder by the day that this crap hasn't blown to IL yet)

[BeenDown139]

worst air quality in the world at teh mile high city yesterday.
getting ready to get baked and watch a blood red sunrise here shortly 🥴

[edwin]

It's been horrible in Colorado. I've had a hacking cough for a week. After spending 10 days in Wellfleet MA (where I didn't see any smoke), it's been really difficult to adjust. A day after I got back, I drove from Boulder down to Aztec NM for a festival gig and it was simply hellish. PM2.5 has been over 100 80% of the time, day and night. It supposed to relent later today and into the weekend.

We need to deal with this and fast.

[garyhead]

Smoke arrived in western Washington yesterday afternoon. Took a trip to the coast with out of town guests. It was 66 degrees at Westport and 96 degrees 108 miles inland in Tacoma!  As we approached Olympia, the haze got thicker.  It was amazing to watch the outside temperature gauge on the dashboard rise that fast.

[rv_bass]

Wellfleet?  Did you stop by the Piping Plover (ha ha)? 

Lots of business turnover in that town over the past few years.