Why does the smoke from a wood fired chimney sink during low pressure and rise during high pressure?
High pressure is typified by clear skies, dry air, calm winds and cool nights. Cool, dry air near the ground is denser than the warm air leaving the chimney. The chimney smoke will rise until moves into air of equal or lesser density. In advance of a low- pressure system, the air will typically have more water vapor. This water vapor will condense on small particles in the chimney smoke, creating small water droplets that are of equal or greater density than the surrounding air. This smoke will spread horizontally with the prevailing wind without rising much in the air. Keep in mind that atmospheric pressure is just one of the variables that play a role in the behavior of chimney smoke. Wind speed and the temperature profile of the atmosphere are also important factors. Learn more about air quality on this USA TODAY resource page.
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