Effects of West Coast wildfires can be seen in the Philadelphia sky

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Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Haze in atmosphere due to western wildfires
There will be a haze in the air due to the West Coast wildfires.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Smoke from the deadly West Coast wildfires has reached the Philadelphia area causing a hazy, milky sky.

The smoke is being carried by the jet stream at between 25,000 and 35,000 feet.

There was a little bit in the atmosphere on Monday. More can be expected on Tuesday and Wednesday.

If there were no effects from the smoke, the sky would be bright and blue in the Delaware Valley.

Meteorologist David Murphy says the area should not expect any surface issues for asthmatics.

RELATED | Family says 13-year-old boy died in Oregon wildfire trying to save grandmother

NASA has a model that is an aerosol forecast which shows where the smoke is coming in.

It will wave in various densities over the Northeast over the next few days.

At least 34 people have been confirmed dead from the fires.

People in Oregon, Washington and parts of California were struggling under acrid yellowish-green smog - the worst, most unhealthy air on the planet according to some measurements. It seeped into homes and businesses, sneaked into cars through air conditioning vents and caused the closure of iconic locations such as Powell's Books and the Oregon Zoo in Portland, the state's biggest city.

Oregon's Department of Environmental Quality extended an air quality alert to Thursday after it was to initially expire on Monday. The air was so thick that on Monday Alaska Airlines announced it was suspending service to Portland and Spokane, Washington, until Tuesday afternoon. Hazy, smoky skies fouled Washington state and experts said some parts of California might not see relief until next month.

In Oregon, places like the Oregon Convention Center in downtown Portland are being used as a smoke advisory shelter where people in need of healthy air quality can go.

RELATED | Ominous orange skies loom over San Francisco amid California wildfires

Why is the sky orange in the Bay Area? There is smoke in the air from the Bear Fire near Chico, but the marine layer is protecting us, so the sky is red, yellow or orange even where air quality is good.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report.