Unhealthy Air Spreads Across Florida for Second Day

Local fitness buffs may be well advised to skip the outdoor routines today due to the unhealthy levels of particulate matter in the air.

The cloud of smoke which has drifted south from Canada has cast a gray pall over most of the state. It's the result of smoke from the vast wildfires which have devastated forests in what would normally be the chilly north woods.

According to AQCIN.org, which monitors air quality globally, the air over Florida is rated as "unhealthy," with numbers in the Polk County monitoring stations coming in around 170 particulates per cubic meter of air.

The air mass containing the high levels of particulates was swept south this week on a mid-level jet. It is expected to eventually pass away from the area, moving out over the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the state with the more familiar blue skies.

Rain chances are expected to remain low for at least a week, and cooler autumn-like temperatures remain elusive.