Why Is There Smoke In Kansas City?
Even though smoke from western wildfires is now present over a significant portion of the central United States, the city of Kansas City is not seeing a significant decline in the quality of its air. According to Jimmy Barham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in the Kansas City region, the reason for this is that the thick smoke is continuing to linger in the middle to high levels of the sky.
- On the surface, there isn’t a whole lot,” remarked Barham.
- But underneath.” According to him, the air quality in Kansas City has remained in the good or “Green” level almost the whole time, with only a few brief excursions into the moderate or “Yellow” level.
- At this level, the air quality is adequate; but, there is a possibility of danger for those who are especially sensitive to the effects of air pollution.
Even when the smoke did have an effect on the air quality in the metropolitan area, it was primarily overnight when surface temperatures decreased, allowing the smoke to settle to the surface, according to Barham. According to Barham, “overall, the air quality hasn’t been that severe in our neighborhood.” [Citation needed] As a result of the smoke, the sky have become hazy, which has resulted in more vibrant sunrises and sunsets.
- This is not the case for portions of central and western Kansas and Oklahoma, which, as a result of the smoke, have seen a decline in the quality of the air they breathe.
- The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a warning the week before last about the possible implications that the dense smoke may have on the state’s air quality.
According to a news statement issued by the health department, “While the bulk of this smoke is lingering high in the atmosphere, there are periods when the smoke is detected at the surface and is hurting air quality.” The health service stated that common health concerns caused by smoke include burning eyes, a runny nose, coughing, and infections such as bronchitis.
“These air quality consequences may continue to be experienced as long as the Western U.S. wildfires continue to burn.” People who already have a heart or lung condition, people who have breathing problems, youngsters, and the elderly may experience more severe effects. The advice given by the health department was: People who are healthy should avoid or limit strenuous outdoor exercise; people who have respiratory or heart-related illnesses should remain indoors; people who are recovering from COVID-19 should remain indoors; and people should keep the air inside their homes clean by running air conditioners with air filters and keeping windows and doors closed.
People were also urged to maintain a healthy level of hydration and to get in touch with their primary care physicians if they experienced significant exhaustion, chest pains, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. You may check the air quality in any part of the United States by visiting the website https://fire.airnow.gov/.
- As of Monday, smoke from the wildfires has spread across a significant percentage of the interior and western parts of the United States, as well as the interior of Canada and the northern parts of Mexico.
- According to what Barham had to say, “That smoke is from a week ago that got caught up in the atmosphere.” There hasn’t been a cold front or rain to clear the air in the Kansas City region since the weather pattern has been stable.
This means that the smoke hasn’t been able to move. According to what he claimed, it has been “trapped here.” However, over the course of the following two days, the remnants of Tropical Storm Beta will clear away much of the state of Missouri and carry the smoke towards the states of Nebraska and Kansas.
If you want to see a fantastic illustration of the fluid nature of the atmosphere, go here. The RAP-smoke model that has been provided below makes predictions regarding smoke concentrations in the atmosphere up to noon on Wednesday. The majority of the smoke that can be seen over our region is higher than 6,000 feet; however, the deeper orange-red spots denote smoke that is closer to the ground.
pic.twitter.com/tCGjqHdYkA — NWS Kansas City (@NWSKansasCity) September 21, 2020 Robert A. Cronkleton wakes up extremely early in the morning to offer his readers breaking news on crime, transportation, and the weather at the break of dawn. Since 1987, he has been employed at The Star, where he is currently responsible for data reporting and video editing.
Where is the smoke coming from in Kansas City?
Kansas City smells like smoke. According to the National Weather Service, it might be coming from the wildfires that are burning in the middle part of Kansas, which are seen on this satellite heatmap. The National Weather Service building in Kansas City has a smoky odor.
However, meteorologists believe that the smell is most likely originating from massive grass fires that are now taking place in central Kansas, which are located many miles to the west. As major wildfires continued to rage to the west of Topeka on Wednesday evening, the National Weather Service reported on Twitter that the smell of smoke was beginning to settle over the metropolitan area.
A big hotspot was revealed by satellite technology and displayed on a heatmap that the government agency shared with the public. It is thought that a succession of powerful storms and high winds that moved through the area on Wednesday were responsible for propelling the smoke towards the direction of the west.
Some of the people who lived in the region became concerned as a result of the smell’s potency. The Overland Park Fire Department said that its phone lines have been receiving an increased number of calls from concerned citizens who are worried about the prospect of a fire breaking out in the area. A spokesperson for the department named Jason Rhodes stated in a statement that there were no fires discovered.
On Wednesday, there was at least one grass fire that was recorded in the metropolitan region. A grassy area near I-435 in Kansas City, Kansas started fire at around 5:45 p.m., according to Battalion Chief Scott Schaunaman of the Kansas City Fire Department, who spoke to The Star.
- According to Schaunaman, the local grass fire was swiftly put out by fire crews with the assistance of Mother Nature as a flurry of rain rushed across the region.
- The first version of this story was posted online at 8:46 PM on December 15, 2021.
- Bill Lukitsch writes for The Star on topics related to breaking news.
Before he started working for The Star, he was a reporter for the Quad-City Times, where he covered local politics and government. 
Why is it smokey in KC?
The smoke was most likely caused by wildfires that were burning in central Kansas, namely in Ellis County, according to the meteorologists from the National Weather Service. All of that smoke is being carried east by the strong winds blowing from the west on Wednesday, and it has even made its way into the Kansas City region.
What is causing haze in Kansas?
Heat exhaustion and an increase in the number of instances of delta-fueled COVID-19 have been a problem for Topekans recently. The poor quality of the air may now be checked off the list. As a result of the wildfires that are now raging in the northern part of the United States, the sky have become hazy in the Topeka region.
- According to data provided by the National Fire Interagency Center, there are now 90 fires active across 12 states.
- The fire has destroyed more than 1.8 million acres of land.
- The state of the air in Topeka at 2:00 p.m.
- On Monday, the air quality index hit 134, which indicates that it is hazardous for anyone with respiratory conditions to be outside.
People who fit this description include those who suffer from heart or lung conditions, youngsters, the elderly, and women who are pregnant. According to AirNow, the air quality in Topeka began to deteriorate early on Sunday morning and reached its worst point during the afternoon, when it reached a reading of 163.
Why is the sky so hazy in Missouri?
According to News/Talk KRMS 1150 AM, 97.5 FM, and 103.3 FM, the haze seen throughout the Ozarks is caused by wildfires in the western United States.
Is there smoke in the Kansas City area?
The strong winds have carried smoke from wildfires in central Kansas into the Kansas City area. Fire departments around the metro have been called on reports of the smoke. The Overland Park Fire Department said it has received a significant number of calls to investigate the smell of smoke in the area. These inquiries have not turned up any evidence of an ongoing fire as of yet.