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A visible satellite image of Michigan shows an area of smoke and ash from a Canadian wildfire Tuesday, June 9. Lighter areas indicate actual cloud cover.

(Courtesy College of DuPage | Annotation MLive.com)

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Gray skies across West Michigan aren't an indicator of rain but of a fire 1,800 miles away.

A layer of smoke and ash from a forest fire in Saskatchewan, Canada, has dominated the view overhead from the city to the Lakeshore Tuesday, June 9, according National Weather Service forecasters.

What would be an afternoon filled with sunshine and clear skies won't be for most because of the smoke, meteorologist Jared Maples said.

If the haze sticks around by sunset, the sun could appear as more of a brilliant red or orange hue for observers.

The smoke generally is traveling from the northwest to the southeast, about 9,000-10,000 feet above ground level. Winds should switch more so from the west Wednesday, clearing the air.

Blue skies probably won't dominate the morning's weather, however, as isolated showers and thunderstorms are expected to rumble across the region.

Today: Severe weather on tap for Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Andrew Krietz covers breaking, politics and transportation news for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at akrietz@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter.