NYC faces worsening smoke, rain and wind through weekend
The National Weather Service warns that Canadian wildfire smoke will return Friday, followed by heavy rain and strong winds Saturday, with modest improvement expected on Sunday.
New York City will see a return of Canadian wildfire smoke on Friday afternoon and evening, raising the Air Quality Index to unhealthy levels for sensitive groups, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Jay Engle said the city will experience “varying amounts of haze and some smoke.”
Saturday is expected to bring localized heavy rain, with up to 1.5 inches forecasted in some areas, and gusty winds that could cause flooding and damage. Engle noted that “we’ll see some locally heavy downpours at times, from west to east Saturday afternoon through most of Saturday evening.” The precipitation may help clear the smoke but could leave soot residue on surfaces.
Conditions are projected to improve on Sunday, with reduced smoke, clearer skies and warm but less humid temperatures, Engle added. The extent of future smoke incursions will depend on fire-fighting efforts in Ontario. As of Friday, the city’s AQI hovered around 160, ranking it among the world’s poorest air-quality locations.