When Will The Smoky Haze Clear? Hudson Valley Forecast

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — Air quality advisories continue for a third straight day, with smoke from the wildfires raging in Quebec continuing to blanket the Hudson Valley with toxic fumes and fine particulates. Changes in the weather may bring some relief locally, but still the air quality advisory has been extended until midnight Friday.

For the Hudson Valley, as of 9 a.m. AirNow.gov reported these AQI index readings from monitoring stations:

• Cottekill: 181
• Scarsdale: 180
• Garrison: 174
• Wappingers Falls: 171
• North Salem: 171
• Newburgh: 169
• White Plains: 164
• Pomona: 162
• Poughkeepsie: 135

State officials reiterated: stay indoors.

"Outdoors is dangerous in just about every part of our state, not just vulnerable communities, but literally everyone," Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a news conference Wednesday. "We normally are accustomed to talking about children, babies, people with compromised immune systems, senior citizens, but this is something that's having an effect on everyone."

Thursday morning, the FAA imposed ground delays at LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport. "Reduced visibility from wildfire smoke will continue to impact air travel today," the FAA tweeted. "We will likely need to take steps to manage the flow of traffic safely into New York City, DC, Philadelphia and Charlotte."

Some rain is possible in the region. There's a 30 percent chance of scattered showers on Thursday and a 60 percent chance Friday.

Also, a large low pressure system is working its way westward from Maine, turning winds to a more northeasterly direction near the fires.

That is pushing the highest smoke levels to the south and west through New York State on Thursday, state officials said. Concentrations of fine particulate matter have diminished into the "good" range across the Adirondacks and into the eastern Lake Ontario region. Air Quality Index values have dropped, but remain high over the rest of the state.

Looking further out, a storm system from the Plains could provide opportunities for some rain next week in portions of the parched Midwest and Northeast, said Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist.

However, the source of the problem isn't going away.

SEE: NY Wildfire Season 'Slightly More Active Than Usual' So Far

Canadian officials say this is shaping up to be the country's worst wildfire season ever. It started early on drier-than-usual ground and accelerated quickly. More than 400 blazes burning across Canada have left 20,000 people displaced, according to the Associated Press.

Smoke from the blazes has been lapping into the U.S. since last month but intensified with recent fires in Quebec, where about 100 were considered out of control Wednesday, the AP reported. Montreal-based Environment Canada meteorologist Simon Legault said no significant rain is expected for days in the remote areas of central Quebec where the wildfires are more intense.

Here's the National Weather Service's 5-day forecast based on northern Westchester:

• Thursday - Partly sunny. Areas of smoke late this morning. Hazy. Areas of smoke this afternoon. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms this afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s. Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
• Tonight - Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the evening. Hazy with patchy smoke in the evening. Lows in the lower 50s. North winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
• Friday - Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning, then showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the upper 60s. North winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
• Friday Night - Mostly cloudy. Showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the evening, then a chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms after midnight. Lows in the lower 50s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 60 percent.
• Saturday - Partly sunny. A chance of showers in the morning, then a chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 70s. Northwest winds around 5 mph. Chance of rain 30 percent.
• Saturday Night - Partly cloudy. Lows in the mid 50s.
• Sunday - Mostly sunny. Highs in the lower 80s.
• Sunday Night - Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers after midnight. Lows in the upper 50s. Chance of rain 30 percent.
• Monday - Mostly cloudy in the morning, then becoming partly sunny. A 50 percent chance of showers. Highs in the upper 70s.
• Monday Night - Showers likely. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 70 percent.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.