When will the air quality improve in NY? Here's the air quality forecast

Marcia Greenwood, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Updated ·2 min read
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Intense wildfires across Canada continue to blanket portions of the United States, including the Rochester region, in a dystopian haze, and vulnerable people are being warned to stay indoors.

On Tuesday, a strong campfire smell permeated the area, and by late afternoon, the Air Quality Index, or AQI, was 157. An AQI number of 50 or below represents good air quality, while an AQI value of more than 300 represents hazardous air quality.

By Wednesday morning, it was up to 219, which is classified as very unhealthy, according to airnow.gov, a partnership of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other federal and state, and local air-quality agencies.

People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teenagers should avoid physical activities outdoors, the site states. Everyone else should avoid strenuous outdoor activities and keep their outdoor activities short or move physical activities indoors.

In tandem with that, an air-quality health advisory issued Tuesday by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for many New York state counties, including Monroe, Livingston, Ontario and Wayne, remains in effect through midnight Thursday.

When will air quality improve in upstate NY?

The sun gives off an orange glow through the haze brought on by the Canadian wildfires Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
The sun gives off an orange glow through the haze brought on by the Canadian wildfires Wednesday, June 7, 2023.

Jon Hitchcock, a meteorologist with the the National Weather Service in Buffalo, said that based on prevailing wind patterns, for Wednesday, the thickest smoke will be with us from now through early afternoon.

He added that a northeasterly wind, which is what's funneling the smoke here, will be in play for the next several days.

So, "We should expect another plume of smoke to arrive late tonight into tomorrow morning. Beyond that, it is possible it might happen again on Friday," he said.

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Hitchcock said that over the weekend, the wind will shift to a westerly direction, which should improve conditions, especially on Sunday.

"The fires will still be burning, but the smoke will be going somewhere else," he said.

Air-quality warnings in New York

The effects of Canada's wildfires, which number in the hundreds, have been felt in other parts of the state, including New York City, which on Tuesday evening was shrouded in a thick orange haze that obscured the tops of skyscrapers.

But the blazes have caused hazy skies as far south as South Carolina and parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Southeastern Minnesota and all of Wisconsin, which have air-quality advisories in effect, too.

Includes reporting by the Associated Press.

Reporter Marcia Greenwood covers general assignments. Send story tips to mgreenwo@rocheste.gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarciaGreenwood

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: When will the air quality improve in NY? Here's the air quality forecast