One-third of Americans Under Air Quality Alerts on Friday

Posted: June 30, 2023 2:35 pm

A whopping one-third of Americans were under air quality alerts on Friday as wildfire smoke continues to waft down across the border from Canada. Friday marks the fourth consecutive day of poor air quality conditions for much of the U.S. When will relief come? Read on for all of the details.

Canadian Wildfires Continue to Impact the U.S.

Over 120 million Americans are under air quality alerts heading into the long holiday weekend. The worst of the air quality was anchored over eastern Ohio, much of Pennsylvania, western New York state, and into northern Virginia.

The state of Michigan is also dealing with the hazards of the smoke. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) extended its Air Quality Action Advisory for particulate matter through Friday while also issuing new ozone alerts for the western and southwestern portions of the state. As part of this advisory, residents are being asked to keep windows closed if possible.

Washington, D.C. is also grappling with an AQI of “very unhealthy.” Some parts of the nation’s capital were inching up toward the Code Purple level, a designation used by local officials to warn that health impacts may be felt by otherwise healthy individuals.

The air quality index (AQI) came in at 215 in Pittsburgh on Friday morning, a rating that is considered to be “very unhealthy.” The smoke is on the move to the east on Friday, helping to clear the air in the Midwest and bringing more impacts to the Northeast.

For example, after dealing with levels in the “very unhealthy” range over the last three days, Chicago finally saw an AQI below 100 on Friday.

Smoke Likely to Ease Over the Weekend

A change in the wind patterns will help to disperse some of this smoke by the weekend, however, forecasters warn that the potentially hazardous conditions could make a return appearance by next week.

In addition to a change in the wind patterns across various levels of the atmosphere this weekend, a new storm system moving from west to east from the Midwest to the East Coast this weekend will also aid in breaking up some of the smoke particles. Rising humidity levels will keep some of the haze in place even after the thickest smoke is gone.

According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), there are almost 500 active wildfires as of Friday. At least 230 of these blazes have been deemed as out of control. The CIFFC has confirmed that there have been 3.059 fires in the country since the start of the year with the majority of the infernos being started by natural causes.

How Will the Smoke Impact Holiday Plans?

Some early Fourth of July celebrations have already been postponed or canceled because of the poor air quality. For instance, the annual Festival of the Hills fireworks extravaganza in Rochester Hills, Michigan was postponed just hours before it was scheduled to start on Wednesday.

As of Friday afternoon, plans were moving forward for the big Taylor Swift concert in Cincinnati. Swift is scheduled to perform her Eras tour on Friday and Saturday night at Paycor Stadium. Despite the air quality levels clocking in at “very unhealthy” in Cincinnati on Friday morning, fans are flocking to the stadium early to wait in line for merchandise. Saturday’s air quality should be slightly better than Friday, however, there is the chance of rain and thunderstorms for both nights.

Summer camps throughout Cincinnati and Pittsburgh have also been impacted due to the deteriorating conditions. As a large provider of camps, the YMCA made the decision on Thursday to cancel camps in Pittsburgh for the remainder of the week, noting that children are particularly vulnerable to the smoke.

Meteorologists are warning that more events may fall victim to the smoke throughout the long weekend. Be sure to check your local forecast if your plans are taking you outdoors in the coming days.

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