Air quality levels are nearing normal levels for the New York City area, signaling much needed relief from the unhealth conditions plaguing the skies for several days now.
The air quality alert for New York was suspended Friday afternoon after staying in place for most of the week; New Jersey's is currently set to expire at midnight.
Air quality alerts had been extended through Friday night as smoke continued to linger in the tri-state, albeit at much-reduced levels compared to the past two days. The air quality index, according to AirNow, finally dropped below 50 Friday afternoon — firmly landing back where NYC typically sits on an average day.
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Are schools open today? NYC high school students will be doing remote learning on Friday (elementary and middle school students have a scheduled day off) and students at Elizabeth, New Jersey, schools are on a half-day schedule. Schools that were closed Thursday (like Yonkers and Newark) are open once again, and while some could be doing remote learning for the day, students will be in classes one way or another throughout the tri-state.
It's a far cry from earlier in the week, when the city's air quality index levels reached "hazardous" levels — at which point the AirNow site states that "everyone should stay indoors and reduce activity levels."
It was not known if the AQI levels would be as bad, or even worse, on Thursday. But fortunately, they seemed to improve throughout the afternoon, with air quality levels at 173 as of 3 p.m. — which brought the city back down to "unhealthy" levels rather than "hazardous" or "very unhealthy."
New York City Health Commissioner Aswin Vasan said there was "the worst air quality in New York City since the 1960s" earlier this week. Many noticed having difficulty breathing as a result of the smoke and incredibly hazy conditions, which is why officials have encouraged limiting strenuous activity for some.
Conditions will be far improved from what they were on Wednesday, with the smell of smoke and fire permeating throughout the city — which was illuminated in a somewhat apocalyptic glow. The sepia-tinted look didn't return to the city on Thursday, though there was a noticeable haze that limited visibility. There will be some haze again Friday, but still considerably better than before.
The fine particles in the air are among the most harmful, according to the city's site. To give an idea of just how bad the air is out there, NYC on average sits at 35 micrograms of fine particles per cubic meter of air every day. That number skyrocketed to nearly 900 Wednesday afternoon, which spells trouble not only for those with breathing issues, but also anyone who is otherwise healthy.
New York City ranked top of the list of the world's major cities with the poorest air quality on Tuesday and Wednesday according to IQAir. Thankfully, it won't reach those levels again Friday.
Winds will continue pushing smoke from out-of-control wildfires into the United States. A low-pressure front off the coast of Maine is keeping winds sweeping down from eastern Canada, but that front is expected to move by Saturday — meaning smoke will head elsewhere.
Conditions will be noticeably better into Saturday, but the smoke still won't be gone entirely.
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There could be scattered showers popping up in the afternoon and early evening. The weekend weather looks ideal, with temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s, and that expected wind shift will be what really helps ease the air quality and smoke issues in our area while at the same time warming us up into Sunday.
Late Monday continues to look like the best chance for meaningful and much-needed rainfall to help ease dry conditions, which has expanded across much of northern New Jersey.
