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(Iowa) -- All of Iowa is under an Air Quality Alert because of smoke from the Canadian wildfires, which you could actually smell in Des Moines Tuesday night.
"You need the right sort of conditions for smoke to be able to mix down to the surface. We have a little bit of that in place behind this front. There were a few reports of being able to smell smoke in the Metro last night," said Meteorologist Kristy Carter.
All of Iowa is under an Air Quality Alert until Thursday. Iowans are urged to reduce intense outdoor activities and take a break from being outside until 6 a.m. on Thursday.
"The bulk of the smoke is actually going to be pushed to the east and the south today because we have high pressure moving in. There are some noted visibility drops over portions of northeast and into eastern Iowa," said Carter.
Thick, heavy smoke is possible, with the southwest and northeast regions being hit the hardest. The air quality is described as unhealthy for sensitive groups in Ames, Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Waterloo.