New York City under ‘unhealthy’ air quality alert as smoke from Canadian wildfires pours into Northeast
Officials are imploring those sensitive to smoke to stay indoors as air quality reaches unhealthy levels in the Big Apple.
Smoky skies in New York City as air quality remains unhealthy for millions in Northeast
Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada has moved south into the U.S., creating hazy skies and unhealthy air for millions of people across the Northeast.
NEW YORK – Thick, acrid wildfire smoke from multiple blazes burning in Canada invaded the skies across the Northeast, prompting air quality alerts for New York City and much of the northeastern U.S.
Officials implored those sensitive to smoke to stay indoors as air quality reached unhealthy levels in the Big Apple on Tuesday.
Air quality levels reached ‘very unhealthy’ statuses during the afternoon and continued to climb into the evening.
(FOX Weather)
At these levels, even healthy people may experience health effects from the smoke, while sensitive groups may experience even more serious effects, the FOX Forecast Center said.
"Air quality this morning is not great," FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said. "What you're trying to identify is areas marked in red that are unhealthy for everyone. Upstate New York, a little spot outside of Pittsburgh, (and) going over to Columbus, Ohio. We also have a spot very close to New York."
(FOX Weather)
The smoke drifting its way over the Interstate 95 corridor started sneaking into eastern New York and western New England early Monday evening.
"We got a lot of sunset photos that were very vibrant with that glow of the sun," Merwin said. "But to see this haziness over the sky, it's enough smoke particulate in the air that this could be a concern for air quality, not only for sensitive groups but for just about everybody that lives in the Northeast."
![Smoke over Yankee stadium]()
Image 1 of 6Smoke over Yankee stadium (June 6, 2023) (@borgesCL/Twitter)
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Image 2 of 6Hazy skies are seen after a thunderstorm over Port Jefferson Station, Long Island. A faint burning smell was also visible in the air. (Donovan Alexis)
![Smoke on Long Island]()
Image 3 of 6Smoky skies in Long Island, NY on June 6, 2023. (@Seilback, Mike Seilback / WEATHER TRAKER /TMX Commack, NY)
![Smoky Sunrise in Baltimore]()
Image 4 of 6The sun rises amid the smoke in Baltimore, Maryland on June 6, 2023. (National Weather Service, Baltimore, MD)
![Smoky Sunrise in Brick, NJ]()
Image 5 of 6A smoky sunrise in Brick, New Jersey on June 6, 2023. (@StephenFascia22 / Twitter)
![Syracuse Wildfire Smoke]()
Image 6 of 6The sun is red-tinged due to wildfire smoke in Syracuse, NY on June 6, 2023. (@Fredknowlton / Twitter)
FOX Weather computer models show a lot of smoke for the Northeast all the way through Friday. Merwin said that out toward the Great Lakes, some improvements are noticeable by Wednesday and Thursday.
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"It is looking better across the Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Superior. But unfortunately, the conveyor belt continues to move it across parts of the Northeast," she added.
(FOX Weather)
Canada is ablaze from coast to coast with 425 active fires, more than half are out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). So far, fires have charred 9.39 million acres, 17 times the 20-year average. That is larger than the area of Connecticut.
The fires have also forced over 100,000 people to evacuate. Wildfire season in Canada typically runs through September.
'UNPRECEDENTED FIRE WEATHER SEASON' ALREADY CHARRED 9.39 MILLION ACRES ACROSS CANADA
The threat of wildfires closer to home has also reached dangerous levels as an unusual weather pattern has set up a rare critical fire risk for the Philadelphia and New Jersey areas.
Smoke and poor air quality over New York City metro
Stagnant air over the New York City metro caused hazy skies on Tuesday.