Columbia County and Greene County are among regions in the Hudson Valley under an air quality advisory issued Tuesday by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and state Department of Health.
Heavy smoke from hundreds of widespread forest fires in Quebec are to blame, local meteorologist Allan Porreca said. The DEC and the Health Department’s advisory was issued for Tuesday, but the short-term and long-term forecasts are more difficult to pin down.
“It’s hard to tell when things will clear out,” Porreca said. “If the fires continue to burn, this could last through August. There’s no way of knowing. The wind direction will tell the tale. But right now, the air quality is poor.”
Exposure can cause short-term health effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath, the DEC said in the statement issued with the advisory. Exposure to elevated levels of fine particulate matter can worsen medical conditions such as asthma and heart disease. People with heart or breathing problems, and children and the elderly may be particularly sensitive.
The smoke is being pulled south from Canada into the Hudson Valley by winds associated with an upper-level storm system spinning off the Northeast coast, Porreca said.
Haze from the smoke gave the moon its strange glow Monday night and tinted the sun pink Tuesday when it appeared in the sky. Tuesday’s sunset, if it is visible through the haze, was expected to be a luminous event.
“This is something we’re not used to seeing,” Porreca said. “It’s the main cause with the current wind direction.”
The National Weather Service in Albany issued an Air Quality Alert for the Capital Region, Greene and Columbia counties and points south through midnight Tuesday.
Chances for clearing in the immediate area rest with the wind direction, Porreca said. A small wind shift could mean clearing in Vermont, but not Columbia and Greene counties. That might take a day or two as a cold front approaches from the northeast and brings a shift in the upper air pattern and the chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm.
“If the upper air pattern shifts to a north wind, that could clean out our air, but if it’s more of a western flow, then we’ll still see haze and smoke,” Porreca said.
The National Weather Service issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for Columbia and Greene counties for a chance of thunderstorms accompanied by small hail and gusty winds of 35 to 50 mph Tuesday evening.
When pollution levels are elevated, the New York State Department of Health recommends that individuals consider limiting strenuous outdoor physical activity to reduce the risk of adverse health effects, according to a National Weather Service air quality statement. People who may be especially sensitive to the effects of elevated levels of pollutants include the very young and those with pre existing respiratory problems such as asthma or heart disease. Those with symptoms should consider consulting their personal physician.
Scattered showers and a chance of a thunderstorm with highs mainly in the upper 60s and lows in the upper 40s are forecast through Friday, according to the National Weather Service. Saturday is expected to be sunny and warmer with highs in the mid-70s.
There is a silver lining in the haze and smoke.
“Because of the storm circling off the coast, there is a chance of rain, which is what we really need,” Porreca said.