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Mar 06, 2023

NJ air quality to worsen this week due to Canada wildfire smoke

Air quality in the New York City metropolitan region — including parts of North

Air quality in the New York City metropolitan region — including parts of North Jersey — was under a rare red alert Tuesday evening as smoke inundated the area from the latest set of wildfires burning hundreds of miles to the north in Canada.

The region's air quality index was at 180 as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, meaning it was unhealthy for the general public due to a high concentration of tiny burnt particles in the air.

Much of New York and North Jersey was shrouded by the smoke, and residents could detect a strong odor of burning wood throughout the region. The smoke was clearly visible hanging over Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, as players took the field for batting practice before the 7 p.m. game with the Chicago White Sox.

Parts of North Jersey that includes Essex and Morris County were under a red alert at 8 p.m. Newark was at 165 while air monitors in Mendham posted a reading of 155. Red alerts begin at 151.

For much of Tuesday, New Jersey was under the lower orange alert for the second time in less than a week. Conditions were unhealthy for young children, the elderly, and people with underlying lung conditions such as asthma, COPD and emphysema.

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Parts of New Jersey are also under a red flag warning Tuesday, which indicates that the risk of wildfire is high.

Forecasts called for conditions to worsen Wednesday and could come close to a red alert in all of New Jersey. The forecast is for 150 on the air quality index just one point below a red alert.

The smoke is coming from as many as 160 forest fires in Quebec. The majority of the fires are "out of control" due to extremely dry conditions forcing local evacuations and property damage, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Company.

What is a code orange alert?:What you need to know about today's air quality in NJ

Conditions improved slightly by midday Tuesday for North Jersey, but the smoke ramped up again later in the day.

"We're seeing another large plume over Lake Ontario and Central New York that should make its way down to the area by late afternoon," said John Cristantello, lead meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Brookhaven, New York.

How long the smoke remains in New Jersey will center on how long the fires burn in Quebec. Forecasts call for showers in parts of the province this week.

This is the third time in two weeks that smoke from wildfires in different parts of Canada has blown into New Jersey.

Last week, smoke from a wildfire in Nova Scotia caused an orange alert in New Jersey.

On May 22, smoke traveling more than 2,000 miles across the continent from Alberta created hazy conditions along the East Coast. The smoke was confined to the mid- and upper atmosphere and did not affect air quality.