The current hazy air in Vancouver is expected to stick around for a couple more days, and when it does leave it'll be a gradual change.
"Readings now are relatively low compared to what they were [Wednesday]; however that could change markedly," Matt Loney, a meteorologist Environment Canada, told V.I.A. Thursday.
While it's not currently as hazy as it was yesterday, an air quality warning remains in place for the city and region.
"I think we'll see periodic episodes of bad air quality in Metro Vancouver, or at least the possibility is there," says Loney.
When will the air get better in Vancouver?
More smoke is being added to the air, Loney notes, with a ridge of high pressure keeping the air mass in place over Metro Vancouver.
"There's fire all around," Loney notes. "Washington state, Whistler, the Coquihalla, there's a big complex of fires up in the Bulkley area, not to mention Northwest Territory."
At the same time, the ridge of high pressure is stable, with no signs of moving away for a couple of days.
A shift in the weather is forecast to begin late Saturday, though it won't be a dramatic change.
"It might not all clear out in one day, I think there will be a gradual improvement," Loney says.
That's partly because no major winds are predicted for the foreseeable future.
"It looks like an interesting scenario," notes Loney. "And complicated, to see how the air quality will improve over the coming week."
Instead of wind pushing out the smoke, Loney explains showers could be the key to cleaner air in Vancouver.
"The air quality will improve gradually," he says. "Likely due to scouring out by rainfall."
While the weather is expected to shift overnight on Saturday and Sunday, the amount of rainfall is uncertain, with scattered showers expected into early next week.
How much and when the air will improve will be closely connected to how much it rains in Vancouver on Sunday and early next week, Loney predicts.
