NYC, NJ air quality again delves into unhealthy range with more smoke from Canada

New Yorkers and New Jerseyans woke up to hazy skies and bad air quality Friday morning as Canadian wildfire smoke again billows toward the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

The Air Quality Index, which measures the amount of fine particulate matter in the air, was north of 150 for much of the region Thursday night and early Friday — meaning the air was considered unhealthy to breathe for most groups.

“Hazy skies continue today from smoke from Canadian wildfires,” the National Weather Service’s New York office tweeted Friday morning. “Air quality alerts remain for much of the area today. Individuals sensitive to poor air quality, including the elderly & the young, should limit strenuous activities & time outdoors.”

Much of New York state and New Jersey are under ongoing air quality alerts issued by their respective environmental agencies through Friday.

New York City and North Jersey spent much of the night in the red zone. Those areas are expected to dip to the orange zone for the remainder of the day which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups such as children, the elderly and people with respiratory conditions.

Rain, which tends to help clear out smoky particles, is forecast for Saturday night into Sunday, and then more on Monday.

Dry – and hopefully smoke-free – weather will return Tuesday morning, in time for the Fourth of July holiday. Thunderstorms could roll in towards the afternoon, but the chances are still low at 30 to 40% according to recent forecasts.