If the Wildfire Smoke Over Missouri Smells Weird, This is Why

Wildfire smoke has created more hazy skies over Missouri and Illinois this week although storms today cleared the air a bit. There were many who have noticed that the wildfire smoke smelled kind of funny this time and I think I know why.

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I have heard many discussing why the wildfire smoke seems to smell different than the previous bands that have drifted our way from the Canadian wildfires. The Weather Network described the experience like "smelling plastic". One of my colleagues here at Townsquare Media noticed that a meteorologist on Twitter had the scientific reason why.

So if my understanding is right (which I admit is sometimes/often doubtful), the wood smell from wildfire smoke is affected by the UV rays in sunlight? Can someone call Myth Busters to test this theory? Yahoo News says that this smell is so widespread right now, pretty much everyone in the path of the wildfire smoke feels like they work at a plastics factory. Fun.

The smoke has really turned the St. Louis skyline into a big fall of haze as shared by Fox 2 St. Louis. We've had quite a bit of smoke and haze in the northeast part of Missouri, but nothing quite as dense as this.

We'll see how prevalent the wildfire smoke is after the storms clear out of our area this weekend. If it does return and you think it smells like a G.I. Joe action figure is burning, now you know the reason why.