Will The Smoke Clear Friday? NJ’s Weekend Air Quality Forecast

NEW JERSEY - Although air quality alerts remain in place, smoke and air quality conditions will continue to improve Friday morning and are slated to get better throughout Friday and Saturday, officials said.

As of Friday morning, air quality monitors throughout the state were registering between 55 to 134 AQI, or up to the “moderate” air quality level, according to AirNow.gov. That’s compared to AQI values peaking at 350-450, the “hazardous” category, just 24 hours ago.

The highest concentrations of smoke in the region Friday should be seen from Philadelphia and points south Friday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service, though the air quality won’t be as extreme as earlier this week.

All 21 counties are under an air quality alert Friday, with a “Code Orange Air Quality Action Day” in effect, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. A code orange air quality alert means that air pollution concentrations within the region may become unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as children, the elderly and those suffering from asthma or heart disease.

A Particulate Matter Action Day has been declared for June 9, meaning levels of fine particulates remain in the “unhealthy” category across the state. Some members of the public may experience health effects; those in sensitive groups may experience more serious effects, according to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms are also set to come to the region Friday afternoon and evening, ushering in a “brief period of gusty winds and small hail,” according to the National Weather Service.

“Ozone levels are forecast to drop into the good/moderate threshold on Friday as chances for rain are expected to help limit ozone formation in northern portions of the state,” the DEP said.

The frequency, extent and severity of wildfires mark important indicators of climate change, environmental officials say. The peak of the nation’s wildfire season is also occurring earlier — peaking in August from 1984-2001 and then in July from 2002-20, according to research from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

There are approximately 160 wildfires burning across Quebec, part of a wider group of more than 300 fires across the country that some are calling Canada's worst fire season ever.
Quebec's fire prevention agency has said high temperatures and dry conditions have contributed to the raging fire season.

Previous fires in Nova Scotia and Alberta have sent smoke into New Jersey, prompting air quality warnings.

Here's the latest weather forecast for North and South Jersey, per the National Weather Service:

North Jersey

Friday: A slight chance of showers, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Widespread haze before 8 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 72. Light and variable wind becoming west 5 to 7 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.

Friday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 57. South wind around 6 mph becoming northwest after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Saturday: A 20 percent chance of showers after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 79. Northwest wind 8 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 63. West wind 5 to 8 mph.

South Jersey

Friday: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 3 p.m. Widespread haze. Partly sunny, with a high near 74. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 p.m. Widespread haze before 7 p.m., then widespread haze after 8 p.m. Patchy smoke between 10 and 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming clear, with a low around 56. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph.

Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.