SmogRank / Episodes / Canada

Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, July 2023

For 1 day, on 13 July 2023, 9 cities in Canada had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: 75.9 µg/m³ on 13 July, about 6.3× its usual 12.0.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached9in 1 country
Days113 July 2023
Worst day13 July9 cities counted
Furthest above usual7.9×Swift Current

Day by day

13 July 9 cities at twice their usual or more
Prince AlbertLethbridgeSherwood ParkCranbrookReginaSaskatoonSwift CurrentMedicine HatSt. AlbertCalgaryEdmontonRed DeerAirdrie
10 Jul111213141516
Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.

How it spread

CalgaryCalgary, 10 July: 32.8 µg/m³, 3.4× usualCalgary, 11 July: 8.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usualCalgary, 12 July: 16.4 µg/m³, 1.7× usualCalgary, 13 July: 55.3 µg/m³, 5.7× usualCalgary, 14 July: no readingCalgary, 15 July: 49.9 µg/m³, 5.1× usualCalgary, 16 July: 47.1 µg/m³, 4.9× usualEdmontonEdmonton, 10 July: 30.0 µg/m³, 2.5× usualEdmonton, 11 July: 10.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usualEdmonton, 12 July: 35.1 µg/m³, 2.9× usualEdmonton, 13 July: 75.9 µg/m³, 6.3× usualEdmonton, 14 July: no readingEdmonton, 15 July: 202.0 µg/m³, 17× usualEdmonton, 16 July: 111.0 µg/m³, 9.3× usualRed DeerRed Deer, 10 July: 22.7 µg/m³, 2.5× usualRed Deer, 11 July: 7.6 µg/m³, 0.8× usualRed Deer, 12 July: 32.2 µg/m³, 3.5× usualRed Deer, 13 July: 60.5 µg/m³, 6.6× usualRed Deer, 14 July: no readingRed Deer, 15 July: 91.9 µg/m³, 10× usualRed Deer, 16 July: 57.7 µg/m³, 6.3× usualAirdrieAirdrie, 10 July: 12.3 µg/m³, 1.7× usualAirdrie, 11 July: 4.5 µg/m³, 0.6× usualAirdrie, 12 July: 16.0 µg/m³, 2.2× usualAirdrie, 13 July: 57.4 µg/m³, 7.9× usualAirdrie, 14 July: no readingAirdrie, 15 July: 40.8 µg/m³, 5.6× usualAirdrie, 16 July: 41.1 µg/m³, 5.6× usualSaskatoonSaskatoon, 10 July: no readingSaskatoon, 11 July: 6.1 µg/m³, 0.5× usualSaskatoon, 12 July: 9.3 µg/m³, 0.8× usualSaskatoon, 13 July: 39.1 µg/m³, 3.3× usualSaskatoon, 14 July: no readingSaskatoon, 15 July: 46.3 µg/m³, 3.9× usualSaskatoon, 16 July: 19.5 µg/m³, 1.6× usualSt. AlbertSt. Albert, 10 July: 15.2 µg/m³, 1.8× usualSt. Albert, 11 July: 4.8 µg/m³, 0.6× usualSt. Albert, 12 July: 21.9 µg/m³, 2.6× usualSt. Albert, 13 July: 38.4 µg/m³, 4.5× usualSt. Albert, 14 July: no readingSt. Albert, 15 July: 112.0 µg/m³, 13× usualSt. Albert, 16 July: 50.3 µg/m³, 5.9× usualSwift CurrentSwift Current, 10 July: no readingSwift Current, 11 July: 5.5 µg/m³, 0.7× usualSwift Current, 12 July: 6.4 µg/m³, 0.8× usualSwift Current, 13 July: 29.6 µg/m³, 3.6× usualSwift Current, 14 July: no readingSwift Current, 15 July: 159.0 µg/m³, 19× usualSwift Current, 16 July: 65.2 µg/m³, 8.0× usualMedicine HatMedicine Hat, 10 July: 22.8 µg/m³, 3.4× usualMedicine Hat, 11 July: 5.8 µg/m³, 0.9× usualMedicine Hat, 12 July: 9.0 µg/m³, 1.3× usualMedicine Hat, 13 July: 29.1 µg/m³, 4.3× usualMedicine Hat, 14 July: no readingMedicine Hat, 15 July: 70.7 µg/m³, 11× usualMedicine Hat, 16 July: 92.0 µg/m³, 14× usualReginaRegina, 10 July: no readingRegina, 11 July: 4.8 µg/m³, 0.4× usualRegina, 12 July: 6.4 µg/m³, 0.5× usualRegina, 13 July: 25.3 µg/m³, 2.2× usualRegina, 14 July: no readingRegina, 15 July: 32.9 µg/m³, 2.8× usualRegina, 16 July: 10.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usual10 Jul111213141516
Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more.
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

Every city it reached

CityDaysHighestUsualAbove usual
Swift CurrentSaskatchewan, Canada1 159.015 July8.219×
EdmontonAlberta, Canada1 202.015 July12.017×
Medicine HatAlberta, Canada1 92.016 July6.714×
St. AlbertAlberta, Canada1 112.015 July8.513×
Red DeerAlberta, Canada1 91.915 July9.110×
AirdrieAlberta, Canada1 57.413 July7.37.9×
CalgaryAlberta, Canada1 55.313 July9.75.7×
SaskatoonSaskatchewan, Canada1 46.315 July12.03.9×
ReginaSaskatchewan, Canada1 32.915 July11.72.8×

Daily means in µg/m³. Usual: the city's median for this time of year (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that.

Against other episodes in Canada

Number 10 of 11 episodes in Canada since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading.

Use this page

SmogRank, Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada, July 2023: 9 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 13 July 2023, smogrank.com/episodes/2023-07-alberta-and-saskatchewan-canada (accessed 2 October 2026).

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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms.

An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes. Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.