If you’re wondering if the air in the tri-state looks a little hazy, it’s not your imagination.
An air quality health advisory is in effect Tuesday for New York City and the lower Hudson Valley, as well as western Connecticut and northern New Jersey, meaning it may not be safe for people with some conditions to be outside long.
State Departments of Environmental Conservation issue the advisory when ozone and/or fine particle levels are expected to exceed a certain threshold.
The main pollutant will be ground-level ozone. Levels are expected to peak at air quality index levels just over 100, which makes the air unhealthy for sensitive groups. Check the latest weather alerts for your neighborhood here.
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Active children and adults and people with respiratory problems, like asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors, experts say.
"Ozone is invisible," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said at his weekly press conference. "We want people with health issues to take necessary measures like face masks."
Officials also suggest more breaks. It advises people to watch for symptoms like coughing and shortness of breath and to follow the action plan they've pre-determined with their providers.
Increasing ozone concentrations result when industry and car exhaust pollutants are trapped near the ground, thanks to a dome of high-pressure aloft capping the atmosphere.
The pollutants react with sunlight to produce ozone, which is an irritant to people with respiratory problems.
Once the sun sets, ozone levels will go down and air quality will improve.
If you suffer from respiratory issues, limit your time outdoors. Stay inside in an air-conditioned space with good air filtration to avoid the poor air quality outside.
In addition to ozone, there are low concentrations of wildfire smoke from fires burning well to our south, from Florida through the Caribbean and into Central America.
The smoke from these fires is creating the highest smoke concentrations in South Texas, but small amounts of smoke are drifting as far north as the tri-state area. Concentrations from wildfire smoke are not anticipated to cause any health concerns in and around New York City, however.
Air quality will improve Wednesday, as cloud cover increases over the region and rain approaches Wednesday evening.
