State College Spikes cancel Wednesday game due to air quality. Here’s what you should know

Josh Moyer
·2 min read

Due to hazy skies and “unhealthy” air quality, the State College Spikes have canceled Wednesday night’s home game.

Central Pennsylvania remains under an air quality alert, issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection, until 10 p.m. According to the National Weather Service, the alert is due to widespread smoke impacting the state from forest fires across eastern Canada.

Fans can exchange Wednesday’s tickets to any other Spikes home game, based upon availability, by either visiting the ticket office or calling the office at 814-272-1711.

“The decision was reached with the best interests of players, staff and fans in mind in light of the possibility that the Air Quality Index (AQI) may worsen this evening,” the Spikes said in a statement published on social media.

According to AccuWeather, State College’s AQI stood at 136 as of 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, which categorized the air quality as “unhealthy.” That meant health effects could be immediately felt by sensitive groups, and healthy individuals might experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure. Outdoor activity should also be limited in such cases.

By comparison, State College’s average AQI is around 24. (Anything over 149 is considered “very unhealthy,” and anything over 249 is labeled “dangerous.”)

Elsewhere, State College Little League informed families via email that Wednesday activities remained on — but participation was optional. “Please stay safe and do what is best for your family!” read an email from the board of directors. At the University Park Airport, director Bryan Rodgers acknowledged visibility had been somewhat reduced — but added the Federal Aviation Administration has not grounded flights, so the airport remains open and running.

Special Olympics Pennsylvania’s Summer Games, scheduled for Thursday-Saturday at Penn State, has so far made just one scheduling change. Thursday night’s Opening Ceremony at 7:15 p.m. has been moved from Medlar Field indoors to Pegula Ice Arena.

“We are closely monitoring the weather with our medical team to ensure the safety of our athletes and volunteers,” Director of Marketing and Communications Hailey Euston wrote in an email.