NY issues air quality advisory for 3rd day in a row as Canadian wildfires rage

Parts of New York are expected to experience the third consecutive day of bad air quality Wednesday, as wildfire smoke continues to waft south from Canada.

According to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, the hardest-hit regions would be the Upper and Lower Hudson Valley, Eastern Lake Ontario and Western New York. The air quality index would be above 100 — the threshold that makes it unhealthy for sensitive groups according to the EPA.

Air quality across New York City, Long Island and the Adirondacks would remain in the moderate category, according to the tracker.

The EPA measures air quality by the concentration and size of particulate matter in the air. A concentration of smaller particles, such as ash from a fire, can get into the lungs and cause difficulty breathing among other ailments.

The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert until midnight Wednesday for Orange and Putnam counties, along with a cluster of cities and towns including Syracuse, Ithaca, Binghamton and Watkins Glen.

Wildfire smoke was also a problem in New York City last week, when smoggy air collided with a heat wave.

But nothing so far this summer has come close to the orange skies of 2023, when thick smoke from northern fires blanketed the region and meteorologists urged people to move outdoor activities inside.