The WBZ Weather Team has issued a NEXT Weather Alert for Today due to the existence of some unhealthy air quality.
In addition, the National Weather Service has also issued an Air Quality Alert through midnight for most of New England.
As of this morning, air quality levels were unhealthy in a large portion of the upper Midwest and moderate throughout most of New England.
The yellow dots represent the air quality reading stations registering a “moderate” air quality level as of 9am this morning.
You can clearly see the hazy sky on the visible satellite imagery.
It is also very clear and obvious to the naked eye when you step outside.
That haze you see is not cloudiness, but instead, mainly from the Canadian wildfires raging throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta.
The wind direction at upper levels of the atmosphere is aligned perfectly today to carry the smoke nearly 2,000 miles from parts of central and northern Canada right down into New England.
Weather models show the highest concentration of wildfire smoke over parts of southern New England this afternoon.
Combine that with some ground level ozone (thanks to a rather hot forecast) and you have, most likely, the worst air quality day of the summer thus far our region.
The National Weather Service included a warning to those who may be sensitive to poor air quality today…
Air is unhealthy for sensitive children and adults, such as those with asthma, lung or heart disease, and older adults. Sensitive children and adults should limit prolonged outdoor activity.
We do expect some improvement by tomorrow. There will still be some smoke in our atmosphere, however, air quality levels are not currently forecast to be unhealthy.
We will continue to update that forecast as new data comes in.
