Smoke from Canadian wildfires has spread into the Northeast and Ohio Valley. In some areas, it’s gotten close enough to the ground to affect air quality.


What You Need To Know

  • Smoke from Canadian wildfires is lowering air quality

  • Conditions are better on Wednesday

  • Wildfire smoke can make vivid sunrises and sunsets

Air Quality Alerts are in place through midnight Tuesday night for all of New York State. Fine particles from the wildfire smoke have increased enough for the air quality to become unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as people with respiratory issues. Reduced air quality was also noted over eastern Ohio Tuesday afternoon.

Lower air quality because of the smoke lasts into Tuesday evening.

The area of smoke closest to the ground will still be around Tuesday evening, but shift south and east going into Wednesday morning.

Air quality should improve in most areas on Wednesday. However, eastern Kentucky may have lower air quality.

Where the smoke isn’t as thick or is higher in the air, the main effect has been a milky sky.

This has produced vivid sunrises and sunsets. Send us your weather photos, including ones of the smoky sun, here.

Smoky sunrise near Oshkosh, Wis. on July 20, 2021. (Brandon Faust)

Justin Gehrts - Senior Weather Producer

Justin Gehrts is a senior weather producer for Spectrum News. He has well over a decade of experience forecasting and communicating weather information. Gehrts began his career in 2008 and has been recognized as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist by the American Meteorological Society since 2010.​