When will the Canada wildfire smoke clear from North Jersey? See the forecast
The smoke that has inundated the region and caused New Jersey's air quality to plunge over the last 36 hours is not likely to disappear anytime soon.
A low-pressure system causing southerly winds to push the smoke from forest fires in Quebec down to the Garden State and much of the Northeast is not forecast to move until Saturday, said John Cristantello, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Brookhaven, New York.
How long is the smoke from Canada going to last?
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," Cristantello said.
Air quality continued to deteriorate Wednesday evening with extraordinarily high pollution readings. About half the state had air quality index readings above 300 - an almost unheard of amount of pollution that that caused hazardous conditions for anyone breathing outside.
All of New Jersey began Thursday with heavy air pollution, much more than forecasts called for. As of 5 a.m., much of the state was under a purple alert, the second highest level that marks very unhealthy conditions for the general public.
How much smoke New Jersey gets over the next few days depends on whether the fires can be extinguished or at least contained over the next few days. Rain is forecast for parts of the Canadian province over the next several days, but it's unclear whether it will make a difference.
About 150 fires were burning in Quebec's forests as of Wednesday morning, largely started by lightning strikes and exacerbated by a lack of rain, according to Canadian media outlets. About 500 wilderness firefighters are on the ground, but Canadian officials are asking for help from other countries.
New Jersey air quality map: Stay informed on smoke conditions with NJ wildfire map
Worst smoke in two decades
Wednesday's smoke forecast for New Jersey was similar to Tuesday's with air quality getting worse in the afternoon as thick plumes make their way down through New York State and into the Garden State. Accuweather called it the worst smoke outbreak in the Northeast in 20 years.
All of New Jersey was under a red alert as of 11 a.m. with similar readings across the state.
Some schools decided to close early while many more have canceled outdoor activities.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: When will NJ air quality improve after Canada wildfire smoke?
