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An air quality alert was made for New York State, including New York and Long Island, due to smoke drifting forest fires in Canada. The alert, issued by the Department of State Conservation of the State and the Ministry of Health, is in force until Saturday evening, with improvements expected on Sunday.
The National Weather Service (NWS) confirmed the misty sky and the smell of smoke in the region, attributing the conditions to smoke trapped in a mass of air flowing above the northeast.
Why it matters
High levels of Fine particle pollutionKnown as PM2.5, have a significant health risk for millions, especially people with pre -existing conditions such as asthma or heart disease. Health managers advise New Yorkers to limit outdoor activities and stay as much as possible while the alert remains in place.
Canada forest fire smoke has become a recurring environmental concern For the United States this summer, with more than 550 active fires that are currently burning in the country’s Western and central regions. Wind models carry smoke hundreds of kilometers in the United States, aggravating air quality in several states.
Images Andrew Wevers / Getty
What to know
The NWS said that smoke has been in an air area flowing in the middle of the atmosphere, which prevented it from emerging.
“You may notice a misty sky and a slight smell of smoke in the air,” said NWS, noting that satellite images show a milky white mist on New England and certain parts of the State Empire.
At noon on Saturday, cities like Boston reported levels of the air quality index (AQI) above 150, considered “unhealthy”, while New York Air remained in the “Moderate” range.
Meteorologists warn that changes in the direction or pressure of the wind could cause more smoke in the region according to the evolution of time in the coming days.
Air quality alert regions, according to the New York Environment Conservation Department, are made up of:
- Long Island, which includes the counties of Nassau and Suffolk
- New York Metro, which includes the counties of New York, Rockland and Westchester
- Lower Hudson Valley, which includes the counties of Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Ulster and Sullivan
- Upper Hudson Valley, who includes Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Greene, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie and Washington
- Adirondacks, who includes Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Northern Herkimer, Lewis, the counties of Saint-Laurent and Warren.
The Canadian Inter -Deader Forest Fire Center has brought back more than 550 forest fires, with more than 15 million acres burned so far. While most fires are located in the center and western Canada, wind models have transported smoke in Ontario, Quebec and northeast of the United States
The smoke was channeled in the region by a cold front which sparked storms on Friday. The high pressure behind the forehead has banged the smoke to the north of the smoke near the ground.
What people say
New York State environmental conservation department in a press release this morning: “(DEC) The Commissioner Amanda Lefton and the Commissioner of the Health Health Department (DOH), Dr. James McDonald, publish an air quality health notice for fine particles on Saturday July 26, 2025, for the Long Island, the New York Metro, the Hudson Valley valley, the Upper Hudson valley and the Pollue regions will be in force from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
He added: “DEC and DOH emit air quality health advice when meteorologists DEC predict pollution levels, ie an ozone or fine particles value (PM2.5), should exceed an air quality index (AQI) of 100. The AQI was created as an easy way to correlate different pollutants on one scale, indicating a larger health problem. “
What happens next?
A new front should arrive at the beginning of next week, potentially causing more smoke and air quality concerns similar to the Midwest and to the northeast.
While the rain pushes from the big lakes and the Ohio Valley, the current plume of smoke should derive offshore. Sunday should bring a clearer sky, but the smoke models suggest that another wave of forest fire mist could reach the northeast at the start of next week.
