When will air quality improve in Columbus? Here's what we know

Update for Friday: Columbus air quality improving, but central Ohio remains under alert

Air quality in Columbus hit "very unhealthy" levels Thursday morning as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to blanket the area.

And while it looks like it could clear out soon, the area will likely see more smoke and haze throughout the summer.

The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission, which issues air quality alerts, monitors the national Air Quality Index, a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency measure that runs from 0 to 500, for both particulate matter and ozone. At 7:30 a.m. Thursday, the level for particulate matter was at 236, which is considered "very unhealthy."

By later in the afternoon, the level had dropped to 158 for particulate matter, making it a level down at "unhealthy."

The air quality alert has been extended through Friday, with an estimated particle pollution level that is "unhealthy for sensitive groups" and an air quality index of 102, according to MORPC.

When the AQI hits 100 or above, it is considered to be hazardous for sensitive groups with underlying health conditions. When the AQI exceeds 150, conditions become hazardous for all individuals, regardless of their state of health.

Columbus area air quality: Tips for staying safe while an air quality alert remains in effect

Here are a few ways to track the wildfires, smoke and air quality.

When will air quality in Columbus get better?

The pollutant carryover from the previous days will remain high, promoting ozone formation due to warm and sunny weather conditions, Kierstin Carr, chief regional strategy officer at MORPC, said.

"The forecast for the weekend and into Monday is going to be high moderate, so that's the yellow category that you see on the charts," Carr said.

At moderate, air quality is acceptable. However, there may be a risk for some people, particularly those who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

The last two days were extreme cases to where MORPC advised individuals, regardless of their health, to stay indoors due to the dense smoke formation in the central Ohio area, Carr said.

"We're expecting that most people are able to again enjoy the outdoors, relatively health risk free over the weekend as kind of the smoke disperses from central Ohio" Carr said.

Carr said that it is uncertain when the air quality will eventually clear.

"A lot of it really depends on the weather patterns and how quickly those fires can be turned out, and from what I've heard, is that there are over 200 fires burning in north Canada and they are having a really, really hard time figuring out how to control them," Carr said.

Neither the Canadian wildfires nor the stuck weather pattern are showing signs of relenting for the next week or longer, according to meteorologists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center.

Fire season usually doesn’t really get going until July in Canada. It may leave the Columbus area temporarily, but there's a good chance it'll come back.

“We have this carousel of air cruising around the Midwest, and every once in a while is bringing the smoke directly onto whatever city you live in,” said University of Chicago atmospheric scientist Liz Moyer. “And while the fires are ongoing, you can expect to see these periodic bad air days and the only relief is either when the fires go out or when the weather pattern dies.”

Air quality: Here's what the Air Quality Index levels mean

Where are the wildfires in Canada?

See where the wildfires are still burning in Canada using the NASA-FIRMS wildfire map.

Wildfire smoke map for Ohio

This map tracks the latest wildfires, red flag warnings, and smoke from wildfires. You can look at just Ohio or zoom out to look at the country.

Air Quality Index for Ohio

You can see the current conditions by using this interactive map here.

Get air quality alerts for Columbus area

You can sign up with MORPC here to get alerts about air quality in the area.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: When will air quality get better in Ohio? Here's what we know