12 µg/m³ measured at Cochrane Sensor, 74 km away, at Aug 07, 10:00AM. The NowCast smoke average is 14 µg/m³ — Moderate on the US EPA scale.
Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged outdoor exertion.
Forecasts show smoke increasing, peaking near 138 µg/m³ within the next 48 hours.
Smoke is expected to arrive around Aug 07, 5:00PM and clear by about Aug 07, 9:00PM.
● Observed (hourly) · ● FireSmoke · ● FireWork · ● HRRR
Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): ■ Good · ■ Moderate · ■ Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups · ■ Unhealthy · ■ Very Unhealthy
| Model | Peak PM2.5 | Peak around |
|---|---|---|
| FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky) | 138 µg/m³ | Aug 08, 10:00AM |
| FireWork (ECCC) | 17 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 5:00PM |
| HRRR-Smoke (NOAA, 3 km) | 19 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 12:00PM |
Model values are for the ~10 km grid cell nearest Banff; the two models are independent and often disagree — treat the higher value as the cautious planning number.
Observations and NowCast are total PM2.5 — wildfire smoke plus every other source — as regulatory monitors measure it, and FireWork models that same total. FireSmoke is a smoke-dispersion model: it estimates the wildfire contribution only, so it reads lower than the monitors whenever other sources matter. The map's optional plume layer is likewise fires-only.
Smoke is at the surface and overhead.
● At the ground · ● Overhead (if mixed down)
Overhead smoke dims the sun but is not what you breathe. The dashed line shows the surface level if the whole column mixed through the boundary layer — a worst case, not a forecast · Data: NOAA HRRR-Smoke
Open the live chart for Cochrane Sensor — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.
See the Alberta-wide forecast — every monitor, ranked →
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