PA Air Quality Index To Hit Triple Digits Tuesday: See Forecast

PENNSYLVANIA - Hazy conditions from the Canadian wildfires are in the forecast, with over a dozen Pennsylvania counties under an air quality alert as AQIs in some areas are expected to reach triple digits by Tuesday afternoon, forecasters said.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission issued code orange air quality alerts for the region through Tuesday night. Air quality within the region “may become unhealthy for sensitive groups," officials said.

The Code Orange will be in place for the following counties: Delaware, Philadelphia, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Carbon, Monroe, Berks, Lehigh, Northampton, Bradford, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Tioga, Lycoming, Sullivan, Union, Snyder, Montour, Northumberland, Columbia, Perry, Dauphin, Schuylkill, Lebanon, Cumberland, Adams, York, Lancaster, Warren, McKean, Potter, Elk, Cameron, Clinton, Clearfield, Centre, Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, Mifflin, Juniata, Somerset, Bedford, Fulton and Franklin.

As of Tuesday at noon, the air quality across the Keystone State was largely “moderate” at around 70 to 80 AQI, according to AirNow.gov, save for some counties near the Allegheny National Forest region, which are at "unhealthy for sensitive groups" levels. Tuesday is forecast to see AQIs between 75 and 130 later in the day, the federal website said.

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

“Sensitive groups" includes children and teenagers, older adults, people with asthma, and those with heart or lung conditions. It also includes people who spend time outside working or doing rigorous physical exercise.

Last month, the air quality in the Keystone State rose to dangerously unhealthy levels as the skies turned orange due to the Canadian wildfire haze. The unhealthy air quality closed schools and government offices for at least a day on June 7.

Relief from the smoke crossing the Canadian-U.S. border won’t be immediate, experts said. Large fires in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan are likely to keep churning out smoke throughout the summer and possibly into early fall, said Montana Department of Environmental Quality meteorologist Aaron Ofseyer.

“The worst is over with this round,” Ofseyer said. “Unfortunately there’s still a ton of wildfire smoke north of the border. Anytime we get a North wind we’re going to be dealing with Canadian wildfire smoke.”

AccuWeather-owned Plume Labs says the air quality in the region is “poor” as the “air has reached a high level of pollution” that is “higher than the maximum limit for 24 hours established by WHO.” The website predicts AQIs to improve through Tuesday evening before reaching triple-digit highs again on Wednesday.

Aside from bad air, the region is also slated for wet weather Tuesday afternoon. Hot and humid temperatures in the high 80s and low 90s will pave the way for scattered afternoon storms, the National Weather Service said, with the highest chances of storms near and northwest the I-95 corridor. Additional storms are expected Wednesday and Thursday before cooler, drier weather sets in this weekend.

Here’s the latest forecast for Pennsylvania, per the National Weather Service:

Tuesday: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. South wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Tuesday Night: A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms before 10 p.m., then a slight chance of showers after 5 a.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.

Wednesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 8 a.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Northwest wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Wednesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. South wind around 5 mph becoming west after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 86. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Thursday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 70. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

- With reporting by Michael O’Connell and Michelle Rotuno-Johnson.