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NYC smoke forecast: Timeline into Saturday
Canadian wildfire smoke remains in New York City for Friday morning, but when could we see some relief? FOX 5 NY's Mike Woods breaks it down.
NEW YORK CITY - Smoke from wildfires in Canada continues to move south into New York City, but when could it clear out? Will it be gone in time for Sunday's FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and Spain in East Rutherford, New Jersey?
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NEW YORK, NY - JULY 16: Smoke from wildfires in Canada shrouds midtown Manhattan, seen from the 86th-floor observation deck of the Empire State Building on July 16, 2026, in New York City. (Photo by Gary Hershorn/Getty Images)
When will air quality improve?
Timeline:
FOX 5 NY's Mike Woods says there could be some clearer air around lunchtime, but a south wind during the evening hours could bring the smoke back into the area, around 7 or 8 p.m.
Does rain help with wildfire smoke?
"We may see the smoke actually increase tonight for a short while before rain gets going for you tomorrow," Woods said.
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NYC air quality: Will there be relief this weekend?
New York City is again dealing with dangerous air quality from smoke caused by the wildfires in Canada. FOX 5 NY's Robert Moses has the latest details.
Rain is expected to come into the area starting around midday Saturday, with storms possible Saturday night into Sunday. Federal officials say that rains on Saturday should bring "major improvement" to the air quality.
World Cup Final forecast
The FIFA World Cup Final kicks off at 3 p.m. on Sunday from New York New Jersey Stadium. By then, the weather should dry out, according to Woods, and "things should be in pretty good shape."
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NYC air quality: Breaking down when we could see clearer skies
Canadian wildfire smoke remains in New York City for Friday morning. FOX 5 NY's Mike Woods breaks down when we could see some relief.
While it may be clearer come the weekend, the International WELL Building Institute forecasts the Air Quality Index to stay in the moderate range through early afternoon on Sunday.
How's the air quality today? Map
What you can do:
This map from AirNow.gov shows the current air quality in the New York City area. Click here if you're having trouble viewing the embedded map.
To view the full map, click here
To view a map of smoke coverage, click here.
Are the Canada wildfires still burning?
Big picture view:
Take a look at the map below to see where wildfire smoke is heaviest and air quality conditions are at their worst.
What air quality is dangerous?
By the numbers:
The numbers show how clean or polluted the air is and stand as a guideline for outdoor activities that day, especially for sensitive groups:
- 0-50: Good, with little to no risk of pollution.
- 51-100: Moderate and really is not a risk to anyone unless they're unusually sensitive to poor air quality. The national weather service will often still issue an air quality alert when we're in this range.
- 101-150: This is a risk for sensitive groups and people with asthma.
- 151-200: A risk for everyone and people who are sensitive are at risk for more severe complications.
- 201-300: Very unhealthy and a risk for everyone.
- 301+: Emergency conditions.
New York City air quality index
Dig deeper:
For today's air quality index forecast for New York state, click HERE.
To check the air quality in your area, click HERE.
FOX Weather LIVE updates
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2023: Canadian wildfire smoke pours into Northeast
In June 2023, winds blew smoke from unchecked Canadian wildfires into the region, which led the Department of Environmental Conservation to issue an Air Quality Health Advisory for all five boroughs.
According to IQAir.com, New York City had the world's worst air quality of any major city in the world back on June 7, with an AQI rating over 350, more than twice as high as Dubai.