Wildfire smoke in Philly is forecast to last into the weekend — and be followed by storms
Air quality conditions in the area were generally in the "very unhealthy" range on Friday.
Canadian wildfire smoke continued to descend upon the Philadelphia region Friday, degrading air quality enough to prompt a code purple alert, and force the closure or suspension of some city amenities and services.
It was the latest bad weather event in Philadelphia’s run of tough luck in July, which has so far resulted in record-setting heat and destructive storms that have marred back-to-back weekends. Smoky conditions arrived Thursday, and were bad enough Friday to prompt the closure of city pools and spraygrounds, and temporarily stop trash pickup.
“Our worsening air quality is a dangerous development,” Palak Raval-Nelson, the commissioner of the city’s Department of Public Health, said in a statement. “I strongly encourage all residents to take action to protect themselves by staying indoors, unless they need to be outdoors.”
Likewise, the Philadelphia Zoo remained closed Friday, and noted in a statement that its animals were being “closely monitored.” The city, however, stopped short of recommending the cancelation of outdoor events, and large productions like comedian Shane Gillis’ performance at Lincoln Financial Field, as well as a Death Cab for Cutie performance at the Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts, were still set to go on.
» READ MORE: What Philly’s air quality is like right now, in maps and charts
Air quality conditions in the area were poor Friday morning. The city’s air quality index stood at about 267 as of 7 a.m. Friday — a figure that put it solidly in the “very unhealthy” range, meaning the general public was at risk for serious health effects.
The city of Chester, however, recorded an air quality index of 312, putting it in the “hazardous” range — one step above the city’s rating, and the highest on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s scale. It later dipped into the “very unhealthy” range.
The region’s smoky conditions were expected to last at least until Saturday afternoon, the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly said. The sky’s hazy appearance, according to meteorologists, came from northwest winds that blanketed the region with particulate-filled air that was expected to stick around through the start of the weekend.
» READ MORE: What to know about the wildfire smoke in Philly and its health impacts
However, by Saturday, an anticipated storm system should clear the smoke out — though that development would likely come with its own risks. That system, said weather service meteorologist Joe DeSilva, could also bring “multiple rounds” of showers and thunderstorms, as well as the potential for flash flooding and possibly damaging winds.
“It definitely looks like damaging winds will be the primary hazard type,” he said.
Staff writers Rob Tornoe and Emily Bloch contributed to this article.
