New York City’s iconic skyline has reappeared as dangerous smog from Canada’s record-breaking wildfires cleared over the Big Apple — yet over 50 million Americans remain on differing air quality warnings.
Health officials are still advising caution when fighting pollution in a number of states, including Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Indiana.
A southerly wind continued to sweep smoke across the U.S., with some regions including Ohio getting hit for the first time this week on Friday morning.
The smoke’s dissipation came after several major East Coast metropolitan areas from Boston to Washington were engulfed in noxious fumes for several days, resulting in New York City briefly topping the list of the world’s most polluted metropolitan areas.
WASHINGTON, DC: The Capitol is seen under a hazy morning sky as the city remains at low levels of air pollution
A toxic yellow haze enveloped New York City on Wednesday (pictured) and lingered before mostly dissipating on Friday
Though the fog clears in some areas on Friday, the National Weather Service warns that states where the smoke is spreading south are still at risk.
The meteorologist warned that a low-pressure area over the northeast would “continue the smoke stream from the wildfires” in the coming days.
“Surface wildfire smoke associated with Canadian fires is expected to continue hitting regions from the Great Lakes to the mid-Atlantic with degraded air quality through the beginning of the weekend,” the weather service added.
The smog is expected to “relax” by Saturday and the wind will “move more to the west at some point”.
The smoke caused travel chaos on the East Coast throughout the week as poor visibility forced the FAA to ground flights from several major airports.
The FAA has not announced any further delays due to the smoke as of Friday morning, but disruption is expected to continue in some areas.
School districts across the east coast have also taken precautions against the smog. School officials in Philadelphia and New York City on Friday urged students to work from home.
Air quality warnings remain in place for Baltimore as smoke hovers over several states, pictured June 8, 2023
New York City was cleared of the smoky fog as the sun rose over the subway on Friday, pictured June 9, 2023
The continued effects of the smoke over several southern states have left millions still instructed to stay indoors.
Mark Zondlo, an atmospheric chemist and air pollution expert at Princeton University, said the reason for the ongoing problem is the composition of the smoke.
“What makes it really unique — aside from the fact that the fires are huge in and of themselves — is that the air stays very low to the ground,” he told CNN.
“So instead of going up and dispersing in the atmosphere or being in the layer 10,000 feet above us, it basically hugs the ground and therefore doesn’t disperse.”
“The weather pattern is such that the smoke plume is channelized, staying low to the ground and heading straight for us.”
Big Apple residents have been ordered to take shelter as hazy smog blanketed the city, pictured June 7, 2023
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Thursday that while the smoke appears to have come and gone, it depends on several factors, including wind direction.
“The large cloud we saw yesterday has been pushed through the city and we expect gradual improvement by early afternoon today,” he told a news conference.
“But a sea breeze this afternoon could drive the smoke back over the city.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul added that while the Big Apple was somewhat cleared as of Thursday morning, residents should remain cautious given the risks of a persistently high level of pollution.
“Maybe we can get a little respite.” “But I don’t want people to be careless and complacent about that because we have to be prepared for the tide to change,” she said.
New York’s Yankee Stadium pictured in the hazy conditions before a game between the New York Yankees and the Chicago White Sox on June 7, 2023. The game was postponed due to poor air quality
In several major US cities, the Air Quality Index score (pictured) rose above 200, considered “very unhealthy”.
Air pollution has declined significantly since its peak, resulting in some states with air quality as bad as smoking a whole pack of cigarettes.
The smoke consists of dangerous nanoparticles small enough to enter the bloodstream, and people have reported side effects such as eye and throat irritation and breathing problems.
Determined by an AQI value – an internationally recognized level for monitoring pollution – US cities were choked by some of the worst air conditions on the planet.
On Thursday, Windsor Township — about 70 miles west of Philadelphia — was the hardest-hit area, reaching a shocking AQI score of 457. That dwarfed the notoriously bad air in Delhi, India, which had a score of 316.
New York City recorded an AQI score of 76 as of Friday morning, according to tracking website IQ Air. At worst, the city rose to over 200 and was registered as the world’s most polluted city.