Wildfire smoke from U.S., Canada causes hazy skies in Cincinnati

If you've been noticing more colorful sunsets and a haze on the horizon in Greater Cincinnati, you can blame wildfire smoke. 

Expect it to stick around.

Skies across the Eastern U.S. will see haze through the first half of the week as smoke from fires across the Pacific Northwest and Canada migrate across the country.

"The haze you see in the sky is indeed wildfire smoke high up in the atmosphere. According to our models, this haze will increase over the coming days, likely leading to some colorful sunrises and sunsets," local forecasters said. 

According to the National Weather Service's High-Resolution Rapid Refresh Smoke model, the smoke reached the Greater Cincinnati area last week. 

The map does not show smoke just at the surface. It shows vertically integrated smoke — the total smoke from the ground up through the atmosphere. 

"These measurements are mapped to a three-dimensional grid that extends nearly 16 miles into the atmosphere. What results is a detailed forecast of the amount of smoke produced, the direction it should travel, and its plume height," according to NASA. 

Due to the height of the smoke, it will likely cause hazy skies and very colorful sunsets due to the particles in the atmosphere. 

More:Western wildfires: Oregon fire has burned a third the size of Rhode Island; California utility says its equipment may be linked to fire;