Lakeside by Mark Ellefson

If you’ve been thinking that this summer is smokier than most, you are not wrong according to WKAR Public Media and Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism:

So far, smoke-induced air quality advisories have been issued for more than 20 days. Last year, there were none due to wildfires.

…Atmospheric conditions and wind direction bring smoke from Canada into Michigan. High-and low-pressure systems are common ways smoke is transported, said Rebecca Hansen, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Grand Rapids office. Most recently, all those cloudless skies—due to a high-pressure system—helped blow the smoke right into the state, she said. ‘”Due to the light winds moving around, that’s helping the smoke stay over the area too … Canada has been experiencing warmer and drier conditions, and that definitely increases the wildfire risk,” Hansen said.

Mark took this in the UP a few days ago. See more on his Flickr.