Canadian Wildfire Causes Hazy Skies, Stunning Sunrises, Sunsets In VA, DC

VIRGINIA — Smoke traveling from wildfires in Canada has created conditions for some vivid sunrises and sunsets in Northern Virginia and DC this week and prior weeks in May, along with hazy skies.

The National Weather Service's Baltimore-Washington office first reported hazy conditions from the Canadian wildfires on May 10. Forecasters attributed the hazy, sunny conditions to smoke high in the atmosphere traveling to the region from the northwest U.S.

Images of hazy sunrises and sunsets have been reported around the region, from Leesburg and Great Falls to Alexandria and Washington, DC.

The wildfires are burning in western Canada and prompted air quality alerts in Colorado and Montana, but not in East Coast states. Thousands of residents have been evacuated in the province of Alberta, where regional officials issued state-of-emergency alerts, according to the Associated Press. There have also been fires in British Columbia.

In the DC region, the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang predicted mostly sunny conditions Tuesday, with continued impacts of haze due to the wildfires in Canada. "Smoky haze also remains possible" on Wednesday.

DC's overall air quality is moderate for PM2.5 (fine particle pollution) but good for small particle pollution (PM10) and ozone on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. That means people more sensitive to particle pollution should limit outdoor activity, the National Weather Service says. PM2.5 and ozone conditions will be moderate on Wednesday, but both will return to good levels on Thursday.