Haze, dirty air from Canada wildfires linger another day in Upstate NY

Nov 15, 2023

Update: As of 10 a.m. today, the air quality in Central New York worsened to hazardous levels.

Syracuse, N.Y. -- The acrid sting of smoke and the otherworldly haze on the horizon will hover again in Upstate New York today as wildfires in Quebec continue to rage out of control.

New York state has already issued an air quality alert, urging anyone with heart or lung problems to stay indoors. The air will teem with smoke particles so minute -- 30 times smaller than the width of the hair on your head -- that they can penetrate your lungs and your blood vessels.

More than 160 fires are burning in Quebec, and winds from the north will continue to push smoke into the Northeast all day, meteorologists say. At 6 a.m., Syracuse's air quality was considered unhealthy; that could get worse this afternoon.

Levels of smoke can vary throughout the day as winds shift and ebb. You can check the current air quality index, of AQI, where you are on airnow.gov.

For much of Tuesday, that north wind sought out Central New York; Syracuse had the worst air quality in the state for much of the day. As evening calm settled in, the air in Onondaga County had reached the "very unhealthy" stage.

Pedestrians in downtown Syracuse donned face masks, an echo of the Covid pandemic era. Patients at the Syracuse Community Health Center said they suffered coughing fits and headaches. A woman with asthma said her chest was burning. Schools canceled outdoor activities and sports events, and many, including Syracuse, are doing the same today.

Just before the first pitch Tuesday night, the Syracuse Mets abruptly called off the game against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The Mets were scheduled to have 8,000 kids watch a game today at 11 a.m., but that's been pushed back to 6:35 p.m. in hopes skies will be clearer.

Homeowners flipped on their porch lights at 11 a.m. All day long, car headlights pierced the perpetual dusk. Residents took to social media to say they smelled burning tires. The Syracuse Fire Department pleaded with people not to call 911 just because they smelled smoke; after all, everyone did.

Twilight lingered well into the day on the shores of Lake Ontario.

"The air smells like burning pine and you can taste it," reported Charles Manro, from Oswego. "In 77 years on the lake shore, I don't recall anything like this."

Smoke continues to pour into Upstate New York today from wildfires in Quebec. This map shows estimated concentrations of smoke at 4 a.m. today, June 7, 2023.

Not everybody changed plans. The Rosamond Gifford Zoo was open as usual. While the smoke reduced visibility to two to five miles, Hancock International Airport operated normally.

The county health department said the air could pose "serious health risks" for people with lung problems, young children and the elderly. People who are healthy are not at major risk from short-term exposure to smoke, the health department said. To be safe, though, the health department recommended everybody stay indoors as much as possible and keep their windows closed.

Upstate New York has seen wildfire smoke before, but usually carried on prevailing west winds from the Pacific coast of the U.S. or Canada. This is different, though: the winds are from the north, and the forest infernos are hundreds, not thousands, of miles away.

"A lot of times when we see smoke in our region, it's from wildfires out west and it's a lower concentration," said National Weather Service meteorologist Bryan Greenblatt. "In this case, it's close to the surface and it's a higher concentration, so you smell it."

The weather pattern should begin to shift Thursday, bringing winds from the west instead of the north and clearing the air in Upstate New York by the weekend, the weather service said.

By blocking sunlight, the smoke is keeping the air a couple of degrees cooler than it would have been otherwise, the weather service said.

Smoke continues to stream into Upstate New York from wildfires in Quebec. This map shows the forecast air quality at noon today, June 6, 2023. Purple is considered "very unhealthy."

The state Department of Environmental Conservation, which monitors air quality, predicts that the air in Central and Western New York today will be "unhealthy for sensitive groups."

Greenblatt said it's been more than 20 years since a similar pattern of fires and winds have brought smoke to ground level in Central New York.

"In 2002, there was a very similar setup, where we had quite a bit of smoke towards the surface from fires in Canada," he said.

Smoke could linger in Upstate New York through the rest of the work week, said Mark Wysocki, New York state climatologist. He said a strong low pressure system just off the coast of Nova Scotia will remain stuck for a few days, diverting winds to come from the north.

There are chances for some light rain in Central New York over the next few days, which could help reduce the smoke in the air. Rain droplets absorb smoke particles and carry them to the ground, Wysocki said.

Syracuse.com staff writers Darian Stevenson and Fernando Alba contributed to this report.

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