Canadian wildfire smoke will descend on Western New York Sunday.
Although the smoke is expected to be much lighter than the thick smoke seen in Buffalo in June 2023, visible smoke, hazy skies and high levels of air pollution are all in the forecast.
State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued an Air Quality Health Advisory for Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Niagara, Orleans and Wyoming counties. The advisory lasts all day Sunday.
Following suit, Canadian meteorologists issued a special air quality statement for an area of Ontario that includes Toronto and stretches from Ottawa to Burlington to the border with Manitoba. Air quality and visibility is expected to vary hour to hour. Forecasts for Toronto say that the air quality poses a "high risk," especially for sensitive groups. Smoke is expected to persist into Monday.
Even though they fall outside of the special air quality statement area, "widespread smoke" is in the forecast for Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Hamilton. Forecasts say the air quality in those regions will produce "moderate risk."
DEC issues Air Quality Index (AQI) exceeds 100. AQI values between 101 and 150 mean that the air is unhealthy for members of sensitive groups, as exposure to high levels of fine particulate matter can worsen asthma, heart disease and some other health conditions, according to the DEC’s website. Sensitive groups include the elderly, children and people with heart or respiratory problems. At that level, the general public is less likely to be affected.
You can reduce your exposure by staying indoors, avoiding strenuous outdoor activity or by wearing an N95 mask when outside. Exposure to high levels of air pollution can cause shortness of breath, eye and throat irritation, coughing, sneezing and runny nose.
You can track air quality in your area here.
This story has been updated to include information about wildfire smoke in Southern Ontario.