How do Saskatchewan's smoke hours this summer compare to last summer?

As wildfires continue to burn in the north, several parts of the province were placed under an air quality advisory on Friday.

As wildfires continue to burn in the north, several parts of the province were placed under an air quality advisory on Friday.

After last year’s busy wildfire season, a new type of advisory was introduced by Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) this year.

A special air quality statement is issued when any type of pollutant causes the air quality health index to go above seven or higher, while an air quality advisory is specifically made for wildfire smoke that drives air quality to a level of 10 or higher.

"So that's sort of that extra layer for people, especially if you're really sensitive to smoke, you have breathing problems, you're young, you're older, pre-existing health conditions, it can really help you make decisions on how you're going to go about your activities," explained Terri Lang, a meteorologist with ECCC.

Smoky summers in Saskatchewan seem to be the new normal, and according to ECCC, Saskatoon has experienced 188 hours under smoke advisories, and Regina had 162 hours under smoke advisories this year.

Last year, those numbers were much higher.

"So far for Regina, it's about the fifth highest on record, and for Saskatoon it would be the second highest on record," Lang said.