A day after Minnesota dealt with the worst air quality in the United States due to the smoke from Canadian wildfires, meteorologists predict that the smoke is now expected to return to New York.
According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the smoke will start to enter the city late Thursday, with the highest concentration of smoke settling in Friday morning.
"Smoke from Canadian wildfires will be visible high in the atmosphere, with moderate levels of PM2.5 (particle pollution) forecast at ground level. Moderate levels are far below those seen last week," the department said.
How to further protect yourself from wildfire smoke while indoors
The issue is the very fine particulate matter that gets inhaled. Breathing that in, even in small amounts, should be avoided.
Last week, the Northeast was inundated with smoke, causing major league games, Broadway shows, and classes to be canceled as New York City’s air quality became the worst of any major world city.
On Wednesday, the smoke settled in the Upper Midwest and caused the Air Quality Index to reach unhealthy levels across several parts of Minnesota, including Minneapolis and St. Paul. St. Paul had the worst air qualityin the United States, with an AQI reading of 256. The air quality was back to "moderate" at a reading of 68 on Thursday evening, according toAirNow.
New York officials said that they will continue to monitor the air quality and provide further information on their website and social platforms.
As of Thursday evening, there were 450 active fires across Canada, with 218 of them out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.
