Nearly 137 million Americans from the West to the Northeast are under air quality alerts as smoke from wildfires burning in Canada continues to billow into the northern US.
“Unhealthy” air quality levels were reported in places from Montana to Indiana on Sunday. And with wildfire smoke pushing into the Midwest, Ohio Valley and Northeast on Monday, millions of people with conditions such as asthma or heart disease, along with younger people and older adults, could experience sensitivities.
‘Unhealthy’ air quality reported from West to Northeast
The Air Quality Index (AQI) ranges from 0 to 500, with smaller values indicating cleaner air and any readings above 300 being hazardous.
Currently, AQI levels are “unhealthy” across central and eastern Montana, northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota.
But with the wildfire smoke pushing east, “unhealthy” levels have also been reported in parts of Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York.
Air quality alerts issued across northern US
Air quality alerts remain in effect in Montana and portions of Wyoming.
But millions more Americans from the Midwest to the Northeast are also under air quality alerts through at least Monday night because of the wildfire smoke.
The entire state of Iowa is included, though forecasters say conditions there should improve throughout the day.
The air quality alerts extend from Michigan to Indiana, with people living in cities like Detroit and Indianapolis expected to have poor air quality on Monday.
In the Northeast, most of Pennsylvania and New York state, excluding the immediate New York City metro area, are also under an air quality alert due to the smoky conditions.
Big Apple glows orange
While New York City will likely see smoke from the wildfires on Monday, it will not be anything like what the Big Apple experienced in June when the sky turned an eerie orange color.
On June 7, thick smoke from Canadian wildfires led to the worst air quality on record for New York City.
Images taken from New York showed strange scenes that looked like a science-fiction movie with the sky an apocalyptic orange.
Millions of people were forced to stay indoors, and even Major League Baseball officials opted to postpone games.