Smoky skies persist in Northeast but unhealthy air quality relief nears
Poor air quality conditions will continue to move eastward into the weekend, which means that the smoke will continue to thin out for many Americans as the holiday weekend begins.
Over 100 million Americans dealing with smoky skies Friday night
Many Americans are currently smothered by thick wildfire smoke, but relief may be in sight for some as the big 4th of July weekend gets under way. June 30, 2023.
NEW YORK CITY – More than 100 million Americans were smothered by thick wildfire smoke Friday, but relief may be in sight for some as the big Fourth of July weekend gets underway.
There was mild improvement along the Northeast's I-95 corridor Saturday morning, with Air Quality Index (AQI) levels dropping below 150 around New York City, Philadelphia and Washington, DC area. However, "unhealthy" readings over 150 persisted in much of Upstate New York into western Connecticut and Massachusetts, and even into northern Vermont.
Poor air quality conditions will continue to move east out to sea into the weekend, which means that the smoke will continue to thin out for many Americans as the holiday weekend begins.
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In the Northeast, air quality alerts remain for Michigan and eastern New York as well as Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Until air quality alerts are lifted, health experts warned individuals in unhealthy air quality levels to limit their outdoor activity to reduce the effects of the toxic air.
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Sensitive health groups may experience respiratory problems and difficulty breathing.
Relief in sight?
While the smoke will thin out going into the Fourth of July weekend, air quality concerns will persist, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
"As we get into your Saturday morning, you can start to see the smoke disperse even more with maybe a slight haze in the sky," said FOX Weather meteorologist Kelly Costa.
The map below is tracking the wildfire smoke. By Saturday night, much of the Great Lakes will experience much clearer, more smoke-free skies, while smokier skies will be along the Atlantic coastline.
How the smoke moved across the country
Air quality was significantly improved Thursday night and Friday across much of Illinois south of Chicago, Indiana, western Ohio and Kentucky after Thursday’s ferocious winds associated with a derecho cleaned out the atmosphere.
The winds from the derecho didn't reach Cleveland, which woke to smoky skies Friday, where air quality alerts remained in place across northeast Ohio. The unhealthy air caused health advisories to be issued for many communities, and more than 120 million Americans were put under Air Quality Alerts on Thursday.
Air quality alerts were in effect as far south as Atlanta by Friday afternoon as a plume of wildfire smoke spread south along the Appalachians. Air quality there reached "Unhealthy" levels on the Air Quality Index with readings above 150.
The smoke-covered skyline in Atlanta on Friday, June 30, 2023. (Image credit: Billy Heath) (FOX Weather)
Farther north, air quality alerts still covered several states Friday afternoon across the Northeast, mid-Atlantic and Great Lakes, including all of New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, Michigan, West Virginia and New Jersey.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection declared an Air Quality Action Day for Friday because of the wildfire smoke and ozone pollution.