Air Quality Quickly Worsening As Wildfire Smoke Returns

Another wave of Canadian wildfire smoke is making its way to the East Coast — and things were already not looking great as of Wednesday, June 28.

Air Quality Index levels as of Wednesday, June 28.
Photo Credit: *Plume Labs via AccuWeather*

Thursday, June 29 forecast.
Photo Credit: *gispub.epa.gov/airnow*

Cecilia Levine

06/28/2023 3:35 p.m.

Air quality index (AQI) values were in the triple digits in Philadelphia, Washington DC, and Baltimore as of Wednesday afternoon, AccuWeather says citing Plume Labs (see map above).

The AQI in Pittsburg was particularly bad, with levels reaching 285. Click here to watch the skyline vanish.

ALSO SEE: Philadelphia Air Quality Hits Code Red Due To Canadian Wildfire Smoke, Officials Warn

According to the National Weather Service, parts of northern Maryland and western Pennsylvania could see "code red" conditions Thursday, June 29.

New Jersey, Eastern and Central Pennsylvania, and Virginia will be "code orange," according to a map from the NWS. Conditions were expected to linger on Friday, June 30.

The smoke coming this week isn't expected to be nearly as it was earlier this month, when levels reached code purple, the NWS said.

Click here to see a realtime configuration of the Canadian wildfire smoke and click here to check your town's current AQI and forecast.

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