7 µg/m³ measured at Sydney, 2 km away, at Aug 07, 1:00PM. The NowCast smoke average is 6 µg/m³ — Good on the US EPA scale. Environment Canada's Air Quality Health Index nearby is 1.
Air quality is good — ideal for outdoor activities.
Forecast concentrations stay near current levels over the next 48 hours.
No significant smoke is expected in the next 48 hours.
1–3 low · 4–6 moderate · 7–10 high · 10+ very high · Forecast squares are Environment Canada's official AQHI period maximums.
● Observed (hourly) · ● FireSmoke · ● FireWork
Background bands (US EPA AQI, 24-h basis): ■ Good · ■ Moderate
| Model | Peak PM2.5 | Peak around |
|---|---|---|
| FireSmoke (UBC BlueSky) | 0 µg/m³ | Aug 08, 1:00PM |
| FireWork (ECCC) | 9 µg/m³ | Aug 07, 11:00PM |
Model values are for the ~10 km grid cell nearest Sydney; 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
20-day record · 1 nearby monitors
| Model | Typical error | Tendency |
|---|---|---|
| FireWork | 1.6 µg/m³ | reads low 0.9 |
| FireSmoke | 3.6 µg/m³ | reads low 3.6 |
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 Sydney — hourly observations, NowCast and both model forecasts.
See the Nova Scotia-wide forecast — every monitor, ranked →
More in Nova Scotia: Halifax