BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – If you were outside today, you may have noticed things looked and felt a little different.
A sunny summer day obscured by gray skies left Hinesburg resident Nathan Miner winded.
“The air was heavy, I didn’t really smell it, but I think it affected us breathing-wise,” said Miner.
Smoke from wildfires in western Canada traveled thousands of miles to our region, and Mimosa Collins says her dog is feeling it.
“My dog is more sensitive to it. He’s gotten a lot more tired during our walks,” said Collins.
Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources issued a “code orange” air quality advisory on Thursday and Friday. This level is unhealthy for sensitive groups and can irritate the throats of humans and pets.
The world looks like it got the color sucked out of it, and notable landmarks are faded into the horizon. It’s a little eerie, but also kinda cool.
“Just looking up, the blue sky is there, but it’s foggy, and the sun is kind of orange, it’s a little post-apocalyptic,” said Collins.
The smoke, suspended in the atmosphere, scatters rays of sunlight into separate wavelengths of light, enhancing the colors of the sun, but dulling views.
Kathryn Furlong and Stephane Brazeau are visiting from Canada, but it’s not Brazeau’s first visit to Vermont.
“We just drove up here today, we’re just camping for the weekend, and we just went on a short little hike to see some mountains, and we saw some, but it’s pretty foggy out,” said Furlong.
“The views aren’t as nice as I remember,” said Brazeau.
But things are looking up. Forecasters say the smoke and air quality warning should dissipate by Saturday morning.