It’s been hazy and gray in NYC this week, and it isn’t because of stormy weather.
The West Coast has been undergoing devastating wildfires, the effects of which have now made it as far as NYC, thousands of miles away.
Smoke and haze from the wildfires in the western U.S. can be seen drifting southeast across the Tri-State area in this satellite imagery. This will filter the sunshine here throughout the day today. pic.twitter.com/LfSay79IQy
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) July 20, 2021
Satellite images from the National Weather Service show remnants of smoke and haze making their way across to the East Coast. Here’s what the live view from different points of the city currently looks like via EarthCam.
An air quality warning has also been issued across New York State, through midnight tonight. Those with respiratory problems should be on alert and avoid heavy exertion outdoors.
#ALERT: #AirQuality Health Advisory for particulate matter today, July 20th, across NY State. This advisory is effective 10 am to midnight tonight.
For more info: https://t.co/Izk1HJeZW6 pic.twitter.com/YYEkvHTiOZ
— New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation (@NYSDEC) July 20, 2021
For the past few mornings, New Yorkers also noticed that the morning sun had an eerie red tint, another fact that could be attributed to the fires.
https://twitter.com/wayoutstuff/status/1417434077997813785
Forecast says ‘74 and CLEAR.’ This shows should say ‘74 and HAZY.’ @WNYC pic.twitter.com/kggj2zLCbM
— Michael Hill (@MichaelHillNJ) July 20, 2021
NBC’s Storm Team 4 reports that this is the worst air quality NYC has had in 14 years.
According to NBC News, more than 75 wildfires have occurred over more than 1 million acres across 13 states. As of today, about 3 million people are under “red flag warnings” across eight states in the Northwest and the northern Plains.