As wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota smothers large parts of Michigan, at least one local ski resort, Boyne Mountain, opted to partially shut down on Wednesday afternoon.
The ski resort announced that several of its summer activities, from its zipline to scenic lift rides, would close for the rest of the day. Its scenic carts stayed open, and Boyne Mountain continued to honor golf tee times that had already been booked, but didn’t allow any new ones.
In its mountain report, Boyne Mountain also offered an indoor alternative: the Avalanche Bay Indoor Waterpark.
The resort noted that it is “monitoring conditions closely.” For current updates, you can tune in to Boyne Mountain’s Instagram page or website.
“Your health and safety always come first up here,” the resort wrote.
Boyne Mountain/Facebook
The rare blanket of smoke likely won’t get better throughout Thursday. According to a forecast shared on AirNow.gov, almost the entirety of Michigan is set for “unhealthy” air quality conditions on Thursday—that’s bad enough for some members of the general public to experience health effects.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy issued an Air Quality Alert for Thursday, writing that there was a “good possibility” the alert could continue into Friday.
“Health advisors recommend limiting outdoor time, making sure to keep windows closed and, if possible, run central air conditioning with higher-rated filters,” the agency said.
Images taken on Wednesday from a webcam showed the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, disappearing into the smoke. For some time on Wednesday, a travel alert issued by the Mackinac Bridge Authority asked drivers to slow to 20 miles per hour and to turn on their low beams while crossing due to reduced visibility.
Mackinac Bridge Authority
Beyond Michigan, other states around the Great Lakes and into the Northeast are set for more wildfire smoke, with parts of Minnesota that border Canada potentially reaching “hazardous” air quality conditions, the highest level of the Air Quality Index scale.
