On Wednesday, New York City will experience altered air quality and hazy skies, although the ongoing wildfires in Canada can’t be solely blamed for the situation.
The National Weather Service has issued an Air Quality Alert for all of New York City and surrounding areas, urging residents—especially those who are older or have health concerns—to be cautious when heading outdoors during the day.
These hazardous air conditions are expected to persist from 11 am to 11 pm, but they aren’t just due to smoke from the vast wildfires impacting Canada.
Instead, the typical summer weather might be to blame.
Carl Erickson, a senior meteorologist with Accuweather, notes that a mix of warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and light winds may worsen air quality in the city.
“There’s smoke from the Canadian wildfires in the upper atmosphere, and that can cause the sky to look hazy,” he explained.
“It’ll be more of a visual effect,” he adds, suggesting the sunrises and sunsets could appear more vibrant as a result.
Alerting the public about air quality issues is a familiar occurrence during summer months, particularly in bustling urban areas like New York.
Wildfires north of the border have triggered tough conditions in parts of the Midwest, with some states warning residents about “very unhealthy” air quality.
Erickson mentioned that the haze from wildfire smoke is expected to linger, affecting visibility in the sky.
In Minneapolis, areas faced smoke on Tuesday, even as rain helped alleviate some of the unpleasant odor.
Since last month, more than 27,000 Canadians across three provinces have had to evacuate their homes due to the wildfires. Smoke has even drifted across parts of Europe, creating a hazy atmosphere, although the air hasn’t reached unhealthy levels there.
In June 2023, the city experienced surreal orange skies and poor air quality attributed to the smoke from Canadian wildfires.
