A turbulent week of weather in Ontario is being capped off by the invasion of wildfire smoke floating into the province from blazes burning out of control in the United States.

Wednesday is proving to be the climactic peak in this weird week of changing conditions, which have included spring-like conditions, rare February thunderstorms, wild temperature swings, and now, hazy orange skies laden with suspended ash particles.

Photos of off-looking skies from all across the province, including in Sarnia and Toronto, have been appearing on social media on Wednesday morning, showing conditions ranging from a faint orange cast to darkened ash-laden skies.

Just incredible that this is Texas wildfire smoke filtering out the southern Ontario sunlight…. in February. pic.twitter.com/QG5FJ7Q1IB

— Anthony Farnell (@AnthonyFarnell) February 28, 2024

Catastrophic fires currently rage out of control in Texas and Oklahoma, with up to 500,000 acres of land consumed in the blazes, and winds have carried particles from this catastrophe roughly 2,000 kilometres northeast, right to Ontario.

Wildfire smoke from TX and OK making it to Srn ON... now this feels like summer LOL#ONStorm pic.twitter.com/XN1wCZQiIl

— Tom Stef (@vaughanweather) February 28, 2024

As of 10:40 a.m., the effects of wildfire smoke in Toronto have sunny skies obscured in a haze, creating a deep yellow-to-orange cast that has many pointing their cameras skyward.

pic.twitter.com/uMmszTV9D9

— WeatherCAN (@1Weathercanada) February 28, 2024

Wildfire smoke drifting from far-off blazes is not uncommon in the province during warmer months, something Toronto and the surrounding region got a healthy dose of in mid-2023.

However, it is almost unheard of to see skies blanketed in smoke as early as February, just the latest in a bizarre sequence of weather and atmospheric events that have people concerned about the well-being of the planet.