Authorities warned residents across much of the Northeast to stay inside and limit or avoid outdoor activities Thursday, extending “Code Red” alerts in some places for a third-straight day due to smoke from wildfires in Canada.
Low visibility from the haze forced even temporary “ground stops” on all flights out of New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Philadelphia International Airport early Thursday.
So far, more than 6.7 million Canadian acres have burned in 2023, federal officials announced last week, marking one of the worst starts to wildfire season. Around 14,000 people were forced to evacuate Quebec, and there are reports of over 150 fires, CBC News reported.
Here is the latest:
Worst smoke ever?:Impact of Canada wildfire smoke on Delaware and how it compares with other wildfires
What does hazardous air quality mean?:How Canada wildfire smoke is impacting DE, PA, NJ
When will wildfire smoke clear?
The good news, AccuWeather reports, is that parts of the Northeast saw modest air quality improvements through the day Thursday, although it will take until Friday or Friday night for significant improvement in some locations. The bad news is some of the most dense smoke may shift west toward Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Detroit, AccuWeather said.
While there was gradual improvement in air quality across the area Thursday during the day, improvement plateaued overnight before likely continuing to slowly improve Friday, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey.
The NWS said that the highest concentrations of smoke should be seen from Philadelphia and points south this afternoon, though not as extreme as previous days.
Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms will move through this afternoon and evening in parts of the area, forecasters said. The main concern is a brief period of gusty winds and small hail, they added.
Air quality conditions should improve through the weekend and into next week, according to the NWS.
While levels decline, experts warn that health effects can still be immediately felt by sensitive groups. These include those with breathing and heart problems, children and the elderly.
Healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure, so they should limit outdoor activity.
How long will wildfire smoke last?:See forecast for Delaware, New Jersey & PA
Climate change:Traveling Canadian wildfire smoke shows Delaware can’t hide from climate crisis reality
What is the air quality index near me?
Since the air quality index reached hazardous levels Thursday, most parts of Delaware, Pennsylvania and New Jersey began seeing numbers drop throughout the night and into Friday.
For much of Thursday, the Environmental Protection Departments in Delaware and Pennsylvania issued a Code Orange for the states while New Jersey declared an Air Quality Action Day statewide. The alerts are in effect through Friday.
As of 6 a.m. Friday, here is the air quality index through the Delaware Valley, according to airnow.gov:
- Philadelphia: 139
- New Castle County: 138
- Sussex County: 151
- Wilmington: 138
- Doylestown, PA: 139
- Levittown, PA: 84
- Yardley, PA: 139
- Cherry Hill, NJ: 84
- Mount Holly, NJ: 84
- Atlantic City, NJ: 128
New Jersey could move out of red alert status today
An air quality alert remains in effect for New Jersey through Thursday night. It is forecast to drop on Thursday from a red alert, which means it’s unhealthy for the general population, to an orange alert — unhealthy for sensitive groups.
“We’re looking at this staying with us to some degree Thursday and into Friday,” said National Weather Service meteorologist John Cristantello.
US air quality index map
What are air quality alerts?
Air quality alerts are indicators the air is unsafe to breathe for certain people. Alerts are triggered by a number of factors, including the detection of fine-particle pollution — known as “PM 2.5” — which can irritate the lungs.
Where is the smoke coming from?:Blame Wednesday’s poor air quality on Canadian wildfires
Canadian wildfire smoke map:See where the haze is headed in Delaware, New Jersey and PA
What does hazardous air quality mean?
Here is how to read the categories for the AQI index:
- Good: 0 to 50. Air quality is satisfactory and pollutants pose no risk
- Moderate: 51 to 100. Air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.
- Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: 101 to 150 Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is less likely to be affected.
- Unhealthy: 151 to 200. Some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
- Very Unhealthy: 201 to 300. Health alert: The risk of health effects is increased for everyone.
- Hazardous: 301 and higher. Health warning of emergency conditions; everyone is more likely to be affected.
What started the fires in Canada?
Unusually hot, dry weather that wouldn’t stop gave rise to the wildfires. Most were ignited by lightning, experts say. A warming planet will produce hotter and longer heat waves, making for bigger, smokier fires, according to Joel Thornton, professor and chair of the atmospheric sciences department at the University of Washington.
“The month of May was just off the charts, record warm in much of Canada,” said Eric James, a modeling expert with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science at the University of Colorado. “I don’t remember (Canadian) fires of this scale in the last 10 years.”
Wildfire smoke map
Scott Fallon, John Bacon, Terry Collins and Thao Nguyen contributed to this report
