Air quality concerns are increasingly affecting areas from the Upper Midwest to the Great Lakes region, extending into the Northeast and New England due to smoke from wildfires in Canada. The smoke, propelled southward by northerly winds behind a high-pressure system, has significantly worsened the air quality in several states.
The FOX Forecast Center has reported that the dense smoke has settled near the ground, leading to notable declines in air quality. Wisconsin, particularly Milwaukee, and Michigan are currently experiencing the highest concentrations of the smoke, with air quality index values categorized from Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy.
This smoke has also reached the Northeast, affecting major cities along the Interstate 95 corridor, including New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston, which are under alerts for unhealthy air conditions. Approximately 160 million individuals from the Upper Midwest to northern New England are impacted, with states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine all under air quality alerts. Additionally, parts of northern Indiana, northern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Vermont are also experiencing heightened air quality concerns.
These conditions remind us of the wider environmental impacts of wildfires and highlight the need for vigilant air quality monitoring. Communities are encouraged to take necessary precautions to safeguard their health during this period of diminished air quality.