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New Yorkers likely won’t deal with pronounced smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires Thursday, even as an air quality advisory remains in place until early Friday.
The city won’t come close to experiencing the apocalyptic orange haze that cloaked the region earlier this month, and Big Apple dwellers likely won’t even notice a change as the advisory winds down late Thursday, according to forecasters.
“The smoke’s really not going to be that bad this time around so you probably won’t even notice a difference if you were to go look outside and try to compare it to the last event,” Fox Weather meteorologist Cody Braud told The Post Wednesday afternoon.
“It should only be pretty light and spotty around our area and that could linger through our Friday into our Saturday, but again no significant impact is expected with that smoke.”
Air quality in Gotham Wednesday varied between good and moderate, he said.
“That’s pretty normal for any standard day here,” Braud said. “The smoke’s really not having an impact on our air quality here in New York (on Wednesday).”
Still, public officials warned residents to be on high alert after they were criticized for a lack of urgency when smoke engulfed the city at the start of the month.
Mayor Eric Adams noted the possibility of poorer air quality during a Wednesday morning briefing, saying, “The ongoing Canadian wildfires may impact New York City’s air quality tomorrow and off and on into the coming weeks.”
“I urge all New Yorkers to monitor air quality reports in the coming days and be prepared to take precautions or change plans accordingly. Depending on your sensitivity to poorer air quality conditions, you may want to adjust your outdoor activities.”
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has a cautionary advisory in place until Thursday, Adams said.
Gov. Kathy Hochul also cautioned New Yorkers about the air quality, expanding an advisory issued Tuesday to western and central New York to include the entire state.
The air quality in western, central New York and around the Easter Lake Ontario regions continues to be at an “unhealthy” level, Hochul said.
“With smoke from the Canadian wildfires once again impacting air quality throughout our state this week, we’re urging New Yorkers to remain vigilant,” Hochul said. “We’re activating emergency cell phone alerts to ensure New Yorkers have the latest information and are continuing to coordinate with local counties to monitor conditions and distribute masks. I encourage all New Yorkers to stay informed about the latest updates and take the necessary precautions to protect yourselves and your loved ones.”
Hochul on Wednesday also announced a first-time use of emergency cellphone alerts that will warn New Yorkers if the air quality index exceeds the 200 threshold for “very unhealthy” air and is sustained for more than an hour.
While residents may notice a haze, particularly around the time the sun sets, it is not expected to become dangerous for the majority of New Yorkers, forecasters said.
Early Wednesday, the air quality index in Manhattan was around 60, according to airnow.gov.
Currently, the majority of the smoke sits over the Great Lakes region, where air quality has reached “hazardous” levels, according to Lautenbacher.
The cities with the greatest impact are Milwaukee, Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, and Detroit, though the thick orange haze is making an appearance as far east as Pittsburgh.
When the smoke from the wildfires first fell over New York City earlier this month, the Big Apple had the worst air quality index of any city in the world at 183 — which is considered “unhealthy” for all New Yorkers by the Department of Environmental Conservation.
On Tuesday, thick smoke covered Chicago and other parts of the Midwest, placing over 11 million people under air quality alerts.
Chicago and Milwaukee were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 as major cities with the worst air quality in the world Tuesday afternoon, at the peak of the smoke, according to Fox Weather.
Minnesota issued its record-setting 23rd air quality alert, lasting through late Wednesday across much of the state.
Nearly 500 wildfires are burning — half of which are considered out of control — in Canada.
The most extreme fires have been reported in Ontario and Quebec in eastern Canada.
The intense blazes have been scorching ever since March, though they picked up intensity this month, causing smoke to drift into the US and as far away as Europe.
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