Smoke from wildfires in Western Canada drifted across the Midwest and Northeastern United States Monday, obscuring blue skies and sun and blanketing dozens of cities in unhealthy air that prompted warnings to limit time spent outdoors.
This is the second time in less than a month the impact of climate change without limits can be felt with breaths. In June, thick smoke from Quebec billows down the East Coast, and blows from New York City, over Washington, and west into Minnesota.
This week, as nearly 900 wildfires burn across Canadasmoke came from fires in the west of the country, billowing toward its southern neighbor across wide trails.
As of 7 p.m. eastern time, nearly 70 million people in 32 states and the District of Columbia were affected by the drifting haze, according to estimates based on information from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and LandScan, a population database.
“Unfortunately, fire smoke will begin to return to the region to start the new week,” according to the National Weather Service in the Philadelphia area.
Air quality warnings ranging from moderate to very unhealthy are issued by government agencies from Montana to the Dakota and several other states, including Nebraska, Alabama, Tennessee, Ohio, North Carolina, and throughout the Northeast.
Residents are encouraged to take precautions, starting from limiting outdoor activities to covering themselves with masks. In Chicago, where air quality deteriorated over the weekend, Mayor Brandon Johnson warned children, older residents and those with heart or lung conditions. to limit outdoor activities.
“We are keenly aware that the recent weather events that have markedly impacted our City this summer are a direct result of the climate crisis,” he said.
Air quality advisory also applies throughout Massachusetts.
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York on Sunday issued an air quality health warning for Monday. Air quality in upstate New York is estimated to be unhealthy for all residents, while conditions in the Lower Hudson Valley, New York City, and Long Island are estimated to be unhealthy for only sensitive groups. Air quality across the region deteriorated by 6:30 p.m. on Monday, with several parts of the city and state registering over 100 on the air quality index.
“New Yorkers must once again prepare for the smoke from the wildfires in Western Canada to impact our state's air quality this week,” said Ms. Hochul in a statement, adding that officials activated emergency notifications on highways and public transit systems and ensured that masks were available for distribution in counties across the state.
Rochester's air quality index started at 141 Monday morning, while Buffalo's was at 116, but the numbers improved in both cities in the afternoon. New York City officials said the conditions, considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, could persist earlier this week.
Index goes from 0 to 500; the higher the number, the greater the level of air pollution. An AQI of 101 or more is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, and 201 or more is considered very unhealthy for anyone.
So far, the air quality alert hasn't been as bad as early June, when there were readings above 400 on the East Coast, signaling dangerous levels.
But as of 10 p.m. Eastern time on Monday, cities in the Midwest and East were reporting some of the worst air quality in the country, according to Environmental Protection Agency. Billings, Mont., and Fort Wayne, Ind., have an AQI of 161, while the Cleveland area is at 157. Conditions continued to improve throughout the afternoon.
The forecast is expected to lead to “unhealthy for all” conditions in areas closest to the Canadian border, according to AirNowwebsite run by the EPA, which monitors air quality throughout the United States.
The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency said its advisory was in effect Monday. In the southwestern region of the state, residents were notified to limit the use of their vehicles, to refrain from mowing the lawn and to avoid burning firewood and yard waste.
Local officials also advised residents to limit outdoor activities or use of their cars, and wear masks. The message repeated from Buffalo—where was Mayor Byron W. Brown tell residents to take precautions—to Chicago, where an air quality warning is in effect through Sunday night.
In Pennsylvania, where the Department of Environmental Protection issued a statewide “code orange” warning, officials are advising residents and businesses to help by limiting the burning of leaves, trash, and other materials, and avoiding the use of gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
Smoke from Canada is expected to linger through Tuesday, boosted by north-westerly winds, the Weather Service said.
Early last month, levels of particulate matter in the air from smog became so unhealthy that many US cities set records. At some point, it was dangerous to breathe anywhere from Minnesota and Indiana to parts of the Mid and South Atlantic.
Visibility decreased to surprising levels in cities including New York, Toronto and Cincinnati. In some places, the smoke from the bonfires enveloped the sky in an orange haze. The smoke can be traced to a forest fire in Quebec.