Some New Yorkers may have enjoyed a breath of comparatively unclogged air Friday morning. But it wasn't slated to last long: More Canadian wildfire smoke and strong thunderstorms are expected turn the first half of the weekend into another dose of apocalyptic nightmare fuel.
People outside Friday should still exercise caution, with the Air Quality Index in much of the city "unhealthy for sensitive groups," which includes the young and elderly. Anyone with health complications may want to wear masks, if they go outside at all. But the National Weather Service says further troubles are ahead. Friday afternoon and evening, more of the eerie smog that blanketed the city on Thursday will be back, contributing to unsafe conditions for anyone outdoors.
“We're going to be in and out of varying amounts of haze and some smoke,” said meteorologist Jay Engle.
As if that weren’t enough to put a damper on the weekend, heavy rain and fierce wind gusts on Saturday could lead to some localized flooding and other hazards.
“By Saturday afternoon, as nature tries to clear things out a bit, we're going to actually run into some pockets of unsettled weather with some rain,” Engle said. “We'll see some locally heavy downpours at times, from west to east Saturday afternoon through most of Saturday evening.”
Engle said up to an inch and a half of rain could fall — with higher amounts possible in some areas — between Saturday afternoon and evening. The storms could also be accompanied by damaging winds. Because the rain will help clear out the smoke, it could leave a film of soot on cars and roadways.
If we survive all that, the weather Sunday — when tens of thousands of people will flock to North Jersey for the World Cup final — will be a reward.
"We should see less smoke, better air quality to a degree on Sunday with more in the way of sunshine, and temperatures warm, but not nearly as humid,” Engle said.
It’s still too early to tell if the wildfire smoke will come back to haunt NYC again next week. Forecasters said it depends on several factors, including whether firefighters in Ontario manage to contain the blazes that are raging through the province.
As of Friday morning, New York City was ranked as having the fourth worst air quality in the world, behind Detroit, Chicago and Washington D.C. The city’s Air Quality Index hovered around 160, which is considered unhealthy.
This story has been updated with more information.
