Lessening smoke leads to improved air quality in NJ; still unhealthy for some groups

Liam Quinn, NorthJersey.com
·2 min read
A person wears a mask by Main Ave. in Passaic. Thursday, June 8, 2023.

In a week when New Jersey has experienced historically bad smoke and air quality conditions, the forecast for Friday and the weekend shows marked improvement, although sensitive groups are still at risk.

The air quality index readings Friday morning in much of North Jersey are at moderate levels, falling in between the 50 to 100 range, due to improved smoke conditions. The AQI is supposed to reach a higher number as the day continues on, with values expected to top out at between 110 and 150, depending on where you are in the state, according to AirNow.gov.

Here is the Friday AQI forecast for different regions of the state:

  • Central: 130 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • Delaware Water Gap: 110 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • Monmouth County: 140 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • North Central: 120 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • Northeast Urban: 120 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • Riverline: 150 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • South Coastal: 150 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • Southeast Burlington and Ocean counties: 150 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

  • Southern Bay: 150 (Unhealthy for sensitive groups)

An AQI anywhere between 100 and 150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, meaning elderly people, young children and people with asthma or other respiratory conditions. Still, Friday's forecast is significantly better than the hazardous value seen on Wednesday, with the AQI exceeding 300 in some parts of the state.

The poor air quality is a result of widespread smoke from a wildfire in Quebec. Though the fire is still raging, changing weather patterns have lessened the smoke condition over the Garden State.

"We are expecting gradually improving conditions [Friday] and again [Saturday]," National Weather Service meteorologist Jim Connolly said of the smoke.

The two most important pollutants when it comes to measuring air quality and ozone and PM2.5. Typically in New Jersey, according to NJIT environmental sciences professor Alexei Khalizov, there are more days with ozone exceedances rather than PM2.5. That has not been the case this week, when PM2.5 has surpassed hazardous levels due to the wildfire smoke.

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"In 2021, there were 199 'Good' days (55%), 151 were 'Moderate' (41%), 14 (4%) were 'Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,' and one (0.3%) was 'Unhealthy,'" Khalizov said in an email. "Overall, in 2021, New Jersey had fifteen days on which the AQI was over 100."

Khalizov said that levels like this are more commonly seen in places like California, which frequently experiences local wildfires. In 2020, California saw it's AQI as high as 700.

These extraordinarily high AQI values seen are unprecedented in this area. According to the state Department of Environmental Protection's air quality evaluation and planning webpage, New Jersey's level had never exceeded an AQI of 200. That is no longer the case.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ air quality improves Friday but smoke still poses risk