News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Wildfires in the northwest of the continent are sending hazy weather to the Upper Cumberland, but Putnam County is not under an air quality alert.
Cookeville Weather Guy Michael Detwiler said seeing the haze so far from its source is the result of two things.
“It’s obviously a combination of winds aloft that move it towards us and then the amount of forest fires going on,” Detwiler said. “For instance in Canada, it’s so rural that they aren’t even trying to fight many of the fires, they’re just letting them burn themselves out.”
Detwiler said that when there is as much volume of wildfire as there currently is in Oregon and Canada, the smoke can carry and create current conditions.
He said Putnam County is in a moderate air quality category. He said that means that while there is no danger, those with respiratory issues should take it easy until the air clears up.
EMA Director Tyler Smith said it’s best to practice caution when it comes to those folks.
“The elderly folks that have breathing problems should just stay inside and don’t get out unless you have to,” Smith said. “But this could last for several more days until the weather fronts push on through but right now it’s continuing through our area.”
Smith said that rapidly-moving jet streams are pushing the smoke from the northwest to our area. He said that we could continue to see effects of the wildfires until more weather fronts move through.
Smith said that hopefully a front will come through and push the smoke out sometime this weekend. Currently western counties in Tennessee are under orange and yellow air quality alerts.
