Will The Canadian Wildfire Smoke Clear For July 4?

PENNSYLVANIA - Hazy conditions from ongoing Canadian wildfires will continue Friday in the Keystone State, forecasters said, with air quality alerts issued for many Pennsylvania counties.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a Code Red air quality alert for fine particulates through midnight Friday, noting that air quality within the region could “approach or exceed unhealthy standards" officials said.

The Code Red is in effect for 10 counties: Carbon, Monroe, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Delaware, Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery and Bucks.

The agency also issued a Code Orange air quality alert for fine particulates in effect through midnight Friday, noting that air pollution may affect sensitive groups including children, the elderly and those suffering from heart disease or respiratory illnesses. The Code Orange is in effect for seven counties: Bradford, Susquehanna, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike and Wayne.

A Code Orange air quality alert has also been issued for the Lehigh Valley area in Berks, Lehigh and Northampton counties, as well as the following central Pennsylvania counties: Warren, McKean, Potter, Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield, Centre, Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton, Franklin, Tioga, Lycoming, Sullivan, Union, Snyder, Montour, Northumberland, Columbia, Perry, Dauphin, Schuylkill, Lebanon, Cumberland, Adams, York and Lancaster.

“We are expecting a mostly sunny but hazy end to the month of June in our area,” the National Weather Service Mount Holly station said in a statement. Friday “should see some improvement into the orange or even yellow categories, especially closer to the ocean.”

As of Friday morning, the air quality across the Keystone State was “unhealthy” at around 162 to 198 AQI, according to AirNow.gov. Friday is forecast to see AQIs dwindle to around 60 to 55, which is in the “moderate” zone, the federal website said.

Risky AQI, which may pose a hazard for people who are sensitive to air pollution, begins at values above 50, according to the federal website.

Earlier this month, the air quality in parts of Pennsylvania rose to dangerously unhealthy levels as the skies turned yellow due to the wildfire haze. The unhealthy air quality closed schools and government offices for at least a day on June 7.

Wildfires have burned over 7.9 million hectares since the start of the year, roughly 289,314 of which were in Ontario.

Air quality conditions are expected to begin improving late Friday into Saturday as more unsettled weather looks to return for the weekend, officials said.