SmogRank / Episodes / Canada

Alberta, Canada, May 2024

For 2 days, from 11 to 12 May 2024, 8 cities in Canada had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: 163.0 µg/m³ on 11 May, about 24× its usual 6.9.

No cause namedWe have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached8in 1 country
Days211 to 12 May 2024
Worst day12 May8 cities counted
Furthest above usual24×Edmonton

Day by day

12 May 8 cities at twice their usual or more
CranbrookMedicine HatLethbridgeCalgaryAirdrieRed DeerSherwood ParkSt. AlbertEdmonton
8 May9101112131415
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

EdmontonEdmonton, 8 May: 2.3 µg/m³, 0.3× usualEdmonton, 9 May: 4.7 µg/m³, 0.7× usualEdmonton, 10 May: 7.6 µg/m³, 1.1× usualEdmonton, 11 May: 163.0 µg/m³, 24× usualEdmonton, 12 May: 128.0 µg/m³, 19× usualEdmonton, 13 May: 26.9 µg/m³, 3.9× usualEdmonton, 14 May: 4.1 µg/m³, 0.6× usualEdmonton, 15 May: 3.7 µg/m³, 0.5× usualSt. AlbertSt. Albert, 8 May: 0.9 µg/m³, 0.2× usualSt. Albert, 9 May: 3.1 µg/m³, 0.6× usualSt. Albert, 10 May: 6.6 µg/m³, 1.2× usualSt. Albert, 11 May: 114.0 µg/m³, 21× usualSt. Albert, 12 May: 85.1 µg/m³, 15× usualSt. Albert, 13 May: 15.9 µg/m³, 2.9× usualSt. Albert, 14 May: 0.9 µg/m³, 0.2× usualSt. Albert, 15 May: 0.4 µg/m³, 0.1× usualSherwood ParkSherwood Park, 8 May: 3.0 µg/m³, 0.6× usualSherwood Park, 9 May: 5.3 µg/m³, 1.1× usualSherwood Park, 10 May: 5.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usualSherwood Park, 11 May: 98.7 µg/m³, 20× usualSherwood Park, 12 May: 79.8 µg/m³, 16× usualSherwood Park, 13 May: 19.5 µg/m³, 3.9× usualSherwood Park, 14 May: no readingSherwood Park, 15 May: no readingRed DeerRed Deer, 8 May: 3.0 µg/m³, 0.5× usualRed Deer, 9 May: 4.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usualRed Deer, 10 May: 4.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usualRed Deer, 11 May: 89.8 µg/m³, 16× usualRed Deer, 12 May: 81.7 µg/m³, 14× usualRed Deer, 13 May: 26.3 µg/m³, 4.6× usualRed Deer, 14 May: 2.3 µg/m³, 0.4× usualRed Deer, 15 May: 3.7 µg/m³, 0.6× usualAirdrieAirdrie, 8 May: 2.5 µg/m³, 0.5× usualAirdrie, 9 May: 3.7 µg/m³, 0.7× usualAirdrie, 10 May: 3.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usualAirdrie, 11 May: 47.3 µg/m³, 9.5× usualAirdrie, 12 May: 39.3 µg/m³, 7.9× usualAirdrie, 13 May: 17.7 µg/m³, 3.5× usualAirdrie, 14 May: 1.0 µg/m³, 0.2× usualAirdrie, 15 May: 1.3 µg/m³, 0.3× usualCalgaryCalgary, 8 May: 3.1 µg/m³, 0.5× usualCalgary, 9 May: 6.8 µg/m³, 1.0× usualCalgary, 10 May: 6.3 µg/m³, 1.0× usualCalgary, 11 May: 38.6 µg/m³, 5.9× usualCalgary, 12 May: 58.0 µg/m³, 8.9× usualCalgary, 13 May: 27.1 µg/m³, 4.2× usualCalgary, 14 May: 5.2 µg/m³, 0.8× usualCalgary, 15 May: 5.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usualLethbridgeLethbridge, 8 May: 1.8 µg/m³, 0.4× usualLethbridge, 9 May: 3.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usualLethbridge, 10 May: 4.1 µg/m³, 0.8× usualLethbridge, 11 May: 15.7 µg/m³, 3.1× usualLethbridge, 12 May: 39.9 µg/m³, 8.0× usualLethbridge, 13 May: 19.4 µg/m³, 3.9× usualLethbridge, 14 May: 4.5 µg/m³, 0.9× usualLethbridge, 15 May: 2.5 µg/m³, 0.5× usualMedicine HatMedicine Hat, 8 May: 1.9 µg/m³, 0.4× usualMedicine Hat, 9 May: 2.7 µg/m³, 0.5× usualMedicine Hat, 10 May: 2.5 µg/m³, 0.5× usualMedicine Hat, 11 May: 24.2 µg/m³, 4.8× usualMedicine Hat, 12 May: 31.9 µg/m³, 6.4× usualMedicine Hat, 13 May: 10.8 µg/m³, 2.2× usualMedicine Hat, 14 May: 9.4 µg/m³, 1.9× usualMedicine Hat, 15 May: 3.7 µg/m³, 0.7× usual8 May9101112131415
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
EdmontonAlberta, Canada2 163.011 May6.924×
St. AlbertAlberta, Canada2 114.011 May5.521×
Sherwood ParkAlberta, Canada2 98.711 May4.820×
Red DeerAlberta, Canada2 89.811 May5.716×
AirdrieAlberta, Canada2 47.311 May4.69.5×
CalgaryAlberta, Canada2 58.012 May6.58.9×
LethbridgeAlberta, Canada1 39.912 May4.48.0×
Medicine HatAlberta, Canada1 31.912 May4.26.4×

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 24 of 24 episodes in Canada since our records began, by cities reached.

Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 24.

Use this page

SmogRank, Alberta, Canada, May 2024: 8 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 11 to 12 May 2024, smogrank.com/episodes/2024-05-alberta-canada (accessed 3 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.