2 µg/m³ NowCast — Good on the US EPA scale — the median across 5 monitors in City of Edmonton - St. Albert - Sherwood Park. Individual monitors run 2–4 µg/m³, highest at Edmonton Central East. Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index nearby is 1.
3 µg/m³ measured at Edmonton Central East, 1 km away, at Aug 06, 11:00AM.
Air quality is good — ideal for outdoor activities.
Forecasts show smoke increasing, peaking near 51 µg/m³ within the next 48 hours.
Smoke is expected to arrive around Aug 08, 6:00AM.
1–3 low · 4–6 moderate · 7–10 high · 10+ very high · Forecast squares are Environment Canada's official AQHI period maximums.
● Observed — hourly median · ● FireSmoke · ● FireWork · ▬ range across monitors
Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): ■ Good · ■ Moderate · ■ Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
| Model | Peak PM2.5 | Peak around |
|---|---|---|
| FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky) | 0 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 1:00AM |
| FireWork (ECCC) | 21 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 9:00AM |
Model values are for the ~10 km grid cell nearest Edmonton; 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.
Little smoke at the surface or overhead.
● At the ground · ● Overhead (relative)
Overhead smoke dims the sun but is not what you breathe. The dashed line is the column total scaled to a typical mixed plume, so it is comparable in shape, not in units · Data: ECCC FireWork
19-day record · 12 nearby monitors
| Model | Typical error | Tendency |
|---|---|---|
| FireWork | 9.2 µg/m³ | reads low 4.2 |
| FireSmoke | 15.8 µg/m³ | reads low 13.2 |
Mean absolute error and average tendency in µg/m³, from forecasts verified 0–6 hours ahead at monitors within 50 km. A short-range record, not a measure of how far ahead a model stays reliable. FireSmoke and HRRR model wildfire smoke only, so they read below the monitors whenever other sources of PM2.5 matter.
Open the live chart for Edmonton Central East — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.
See the Alberta-wide forecast — every monitor, ranked →
More in Alberta: Calgary · Fort McMurray