NYC should brace for smoke from Canadian wildfires, but it won't affect residents how you think, expert says
New York City should brace for poor air quality and a hazy sky on Wednesday — but the less-than-stellar conditions can't all be blamed on the ongoing Canadian wildfires raging up north.
The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for all of the Big Apple and the rest of the tri-state area, warning people of certain ages or with health conditions to take it easy as they try to get through the middle of the work week.
The hazardous air is expected to last between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m., but it can't be attributed to the smoke from the massive fires ripping through parts of Canada.
Instead, plain old summer weather is the likely culprit.
The combination of warm temperatures, lots of sunshine and little wind will worsen the air quality in the greater metro area, AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Carl Erickson told The Post.
'The Canadian wildfire smoke, that's more into the upper atmosphere, just kind of causing the sky to look hazy,' he said, noting the smoke isn't close enough to the surface to affect people's breathing.
'It'll be more visual,' making the sunrise and sunset look more vibrant, he added.
He said air quality alerts will be a common sight over the summer months, especially in urban areas like the Big Apple.
The fires north of the border led to rough conditions in parts of the Midwest, where some states have put out alerts that their air quality is 'very unhealthy.'
The Minneapolis-St-Paul area reeked of smoke Tuesday, even as rain dampened some of the unbearable smell.
More than 27,000 Canadians in three provinces were forced to flee their homes since last month, with the smoke even reaching some of Europe, causing hazy skies, but not unhealthy air.
The city grappled with a surreal orange sky and awful air quality when smoke from Canadian wildfires descended on New York in June 2023.
With Post wires.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Melanoma Canada mobile skin cancer screening unit coming to Burlington, Brampton, Oakville
Melanoma Canada is bringing the Mole Mobile skin cancer screening unit on wheels to Burlington, Brampton and Oakville Friday through Sunday. The Mole Mobile is visiting major Canadian cities that have long wait times to see a dermatologist, and underserved communities, to help speed up diagnosis. The screening unit on wheels is open to the public for free skin cancer screenings by certified Canadian dermatologists, and no appointments are necessary. According to a press release from Melanoma Canada, skin cancer is the most common cancer in Canada, yet access to dermatologists remains a challenge. With two Mole Mobile units hitting the road in 2025, the project is expanding its reach and breaking down barriers to early detection. For more information on the Burlington, Brampton and Oakville Mole Mobile cancer screening unit stops and other Ontario stops, see a schedule on the project's website . For additional information, visit the Melanoma Canada website . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Alert Urging People To Monitor Themselves for Coughs Spreads to 3 States
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Air quality alerts advising people to monitor themselves for symptoms such as coughing are in place for three states, with other warnings about poor air quality extending further as Canadian wildfire smoke descends into the U.S. In addition to respiratory symptoms such as coughing, exposure to wildfire smoke could cause an uptick in heart attacks and strokes, Dr. Scott Budinger, the chief of pulmonary and critical care in the Department of Medicine at Northwestern University, told Newsweek. Why It Matters Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has degraded air quality in the Upper Midwest for the past week. In some instances, smoke has impacted sunsets as far south as the Gulf Coast, with people warned of physical impact as far south as the Plains states. As of Friday, air quality alerts advising people to move indoors if they begin to cough are in place for Maine, Michigan and Wisconsin. Other air quality alerts are in place in Nebraska, the Great Lakes and parts of the Northeast. A stock image shows a man coughing. A stock image shows a man coughing. Liubomyr Vorona/Getty What To Know Most air quality alerts warning of symptoms like coughing were set to expire by noon on Friday, although they could be reissued. The alert in Maine included the cities of Allagash, Clayton Lake, Lincoln, Howland and Springfield, among others. "People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young, the elderly, those with pre-existing respiratory problems such as asthma, those with heart disease and anyone who is working hard outdoors," an alert from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection said. "But if you experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, throat irritation or an uncomfortable sensation in your chest please consider limiting the intensity and duration of your outdoor activities." In Michigan, the alert was in place for cities such as Benton Harbor, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Ludington and others. "Smoke associated with Canada wildfires persists over the state today," the Michigan alert said. "Levels of PM2.5 into the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) range are expected and reading could reach the Unhealthy (Red AQI) range for a short period of time." In Wisconsin, the alert was in place for areas along the Lake Michigan shoreline. What People Are Saying NWS Weather Prediction Center meteorologist Marc Chenard told Newsweek: "To some extent, there's going to be some smoke that's lingering in the Midwest, Great Lakes and into the Northeast through the weekend. "It generally looks like the concentration will be on a downward trend, so that might mean some of the air quality won't be quite as impacted but there will likely still be periods of smoke." An air quality alert in Wisconsin: "Make outdoor activities shorter and less intense. It is OK to be active outdoors but take more breaks. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath. People with asthma: Follow your asthma action plan and keep quick relief medicine handy. People with heart disease: Symptoms such as palpitations, shortness of breath, or unusual fatigue may indicate a serious problem. If you have any of these, contact your health care provider." What Happens Next If someone's cough lasts for seven days or is associated with breathlessness, they should see a doctor. Most of the air quality alerts will expire on Friday.
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Marc Garneau was the first Canadian in space — but what he achieved on Earth is worth remembering, too
If Marc Garneau wasn't the beau ideal of Canadian character, accomplishment and aspiration, then he was surely on the short list. Canada's first astronaut in space, who died on Wednesday at 76 after a short illness, made his name travelling to the heavens. But his was a life that meant so much more, one shot through with examples of courage, adventure, service and resilience here on Earth. 'I didn't set out to be an astronaut, but that's what I became,' Garneau wrote in his 2024 memoir, A Most Extraordinary Ride. 'I also didn't set out to be a politician, but that also happened.' What he did set out to do 'was to live to the fullest of my capabilities rather than shrink from the challenges life threw at me, to stay curious, and to carry myself with dignity.' Garneau also wrote about the odd burst of youthful hell-raising. 'I was immature and lacked judgment,' he later recalled. 'Fortunately, it worked out, and I was able to learn from those experiences.' The son of a francophone infantry officer from Quebec City and an anglo-Canadian nurse from Sussex, New Brunswick, Garneau considered himself a product of both of Canada's fabled two solitudes. 'I was half Quebecer and half Maritimer,' he wrote. 'I believe I get my passion and tendency to argue from my Quebec ancestry and my pragmatism and can-do attitude from the Maritimer in my DNA.' Garneau joined the Royal Canadian Navy at 16, relishing the challenge of navigating vast spaces, relying on his wits. 'I like challenges; I like adventure,' he said last year. 'I'm willing to tolerate a certain amount of risk in my life. Failure does not throw me off, and I learned from failure.' While serving in the navy, he read a newspaper ad from the National Research Council. It was looking for astronauts. Garneau applied. In 1983, he was selected from more than 4,300 applicants to a class of six astronauts. A year later, he became the first Canadian to go to space, as a payload specialist on the NASA shuttle mission. 'I have often used the word euphoria to describe the moment I first saw Earth from space,' Garneau wrote. 'The view that greeted me left me not only breathless, but speechless. Words like incredible, amazing and extraordinary couldn't do justice to what I was seeing.' He wanted NASA to be pleased with his work. And, he said, 'I wanted Canadians to be proud of me.' That they were, and Garneau returned to Earth a national celebrity. He left the astronaut corps after two more missions and became president of the Canadian Space Agency before being recruited into politics. 'The possibility of making decisions that would shape Canada's future appealed to me,' he wrote. Although he lost his first bid for the House of Commons, in 2006, he won in 2008 and remained in office until his retirement, in 2023. He sought the Liberal leadership in 2013 but dropped out of the race that Justin Trudeau eventually won. He would go on to serve as Trudeau's minister of transport and then foreign affairs. Garneau had an edge, disagreeing with his leader on several aspects of foreign policy. He wished that the astronaut culture of honesty, openness, making no excuses and admitting promptly to error prevailed in politics. When he was left out of Trudeau's cabinet in 2021, Garneau more or less masked his sense of betrayal. 'It felt like a punch in the gut,' he wrote — but he carried on. Many of the tributes that have poured in since Garneau's wife, Pam, announced his passing have mentioned his fundamental virtues: humility, modesty, thoughtfulness, grace, courage, hopefulness, decency. Bob Rae, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations and one of Garneau's former colleagues, called him an 'old-fashioned, upfront guy, wise, incredibly hard-working, with deep humility and quiet sense of humour.' Garneau said that when he sat down to write his memoir, 'I realized, my goodness, I did pack a lot in 75 years.' Not least of all inspiring and making proud an entire country.
