Saturday brings improvement to Long Island air but wildfire smoke remains unhealthy for some

New York State health officials issued advisories for Saturday's air quality that — while showing improvement from Friday's unhealthy air for everyone — was still expected to be unhealthy for those in "sensitive groups." 

Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday that the Canadian wildfires' adverse impact on New York's air quality was expected to improve over the next few days.

"We don’t have a long-range forecast to see what’s going to happen on the Fourth of July, but right now it’s trending that we expect much of this to dissipate over the next couple of days and return to some semblance of normal," Hochul said during an appearance Friday in Rochester, which she said was the "epicenter" of poor air quality in the state.

"There’s no end in sight to these wildfires," she warned. "So I think this is something we’re going to have to adapt to for the next few months and possibly beyond."

Anticipating the holiday weekend, she added in a news release that large fireworks displays may produce smoke near or downwind of where fireworks are set off and could be picked up by the state's air monitoring devices.

She urged people to take precautions. "This is not a time to be going out for a jog, or to take the baby out in the stroller to the park. This is a time to make sure, especially those who are feeling the effects — we’re talking about runny noses, watery eyes, difficulty breathing — to have a mask in your pocket ready to whip out to make sure you are protected from these conditions."

According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation's Extended Air Quality Index Forecast, the projection for Long Island on Saturday was 110, which was in the orange zone, meaning air quality was "unhealthy for sensitive groups." That was an improvement from Friday, when the region was in the red zone at 154, considered "unhealthy for all groups."

Air quality index

The map below shows real-time air quality index figures across the United States, updated hourly according to the federal website airnow.gov. The map shows the levels of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), which are tiny particles or droplets in the air that are 2½ microns or less in width. The different colors shown on the map indicate if these levels have reached unhealthy levels, with yellow being “moderate,” orange being “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and red “unhealthy” for all groups. Zoom in and out, and search for specific locations using the buttons at the bottom.

Friday's poor air quality sparked by the Canadian wildfires forced the cancellation of racing at Belmont Park. The New York Racing Association, Inc. announced it had canceled live racing Friday at Belmont Park "due to a rapid decline in air quality late this morning.

"This decision was made in consultation with the New York State Equine Medical Director, NYRA management and veterinary staff in the best interests of the safety of all participants," according to NYRA.

By midmorning Friday much of the New York City area, as well as Nassau County and western Suffolk, had gone from having air quality listed as orange "moderate" or "unhealthy for sensitive groups" to being listed as red — or "unhealthy" — a warning that meant even the general public, not just those with preexisting conditions or at-risk, might experience health effects due to the loss of air quality.

By later Friday afternoon, the DEC issued an alert for "fine particulate matter" for the Adirondack, Upper and Lower Hudson Valley, New York City Metro, and Long Island regions from noon Saturday through 11:59 p.m.

Both Nassau and Suffolk county health departments issued air quality health advisories warning residents, particularly those with respiratory or heart conditions, the elderly and children, to limit outdoor activity because of hazardous "fine particles" in the air.

David Stark, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service at Upton, said forecasts show some relief in sight by Saturday.

Stark said there may still by some haze in the sky on Saturday, "but not nearly as significant as [Friday]," and he anticipated that the air quality index will be "much improved" by Saturday.

Temperatures are forecast to be around 80 degrees Saturday and sunny, with clouds forecast by Saturday evening, and a 50% to 60% chance of showers or thunderstorms on Sunday. 

On its website, AirNow.gov, the EPA was advising that people with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should all take "any of these steps" to reduce exposure: avoid strenuous outdoor activities; keep outdoor activities short; and, consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

For those without at-risk conditions, the EPA also advised taking steps to reduce exposure, cautioning: choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running), so you don’t breathe as hard; shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors; and, be active outdoors only when air quality is better.

By Olivia Winslow

olivia.winslow@newsday.com@newsollie