NC air quality Friday updates: What to expect from wildfire smoke today

Particulate matter in air across most of North Carolina is expected to return to healthy levels again Friday for the first time in several days. Air quality is expected to improve through the weekend, eventually getting back to a Code Green by Sunday.

Hundreds of wildfires burning in Canada have sent smoke sprawling down the East Coast, with the pollution unable to move to sea because of a low pressure system sitting off of the coast. That has resulted in Code Orange levels of fine particulate for most of the week, meaning older people, children and those with respiratory conditions should avoid exerting themselves outside.

On Wednesday, much of central North Carolina was Code Red, with air quality posing a health risk to the general population.

The N.C. Division of Air Quality expects levels of particulate matter to remain at what is called Code Yellow levels on Friday for much of the state, meaning the air is moderately healthy. That includes Wake, Durham, Orange, Johnston and Chatham counties.

▪ Overnight fine particulate readings rose significantly in Wake County, DAQ said in a forecast update at 1:30 a.m. Elevated (though lesser) hourly readings were also observed elsewhere in central and eastern parts of the state.

▪ As of 7:30 a.m. Friday, Wake County remained under a Code Orange, while Durham, Orange, Johnston and Chatham counties dropped to a Code Yellow.

“Some haze was reported at RDU Airport a little bit after midnight, which is one of the reasons we’re still seeing Orange for Wake. But it’s been slowly improving into the morning hours,” said Raleigh National Weather Service meteorologist Andrew Kren.

The Forsyth County Office of Environmental Assistance and Protection, which measures air quality and issues alerts for a nine-county region in the Triad, is maintaining a Code Orange for its coverage area, including Greensboro and Winston-Salem.

The lingering smoke will cause a different kind of air quality concern Friday around Charlotte.

Meteorologists at the state DAQ are issuing a Code Orange for ground level ozone in Mecklenburg and Union counties. That advisory will be effective between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m., according to a Thursday afternoon air quality forecast.

Ground level ozone rises on sunny days when nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds react with each other.

Children, older adults and people with respiratory conditions should cut down on “prolonged or heavy” exercise outside during a Code Orange for ozone. Those who work outdoors are also advised to reduce their exertion in those conditions.

Saturday is expected to bring similar air quality conditions, with pollutant levels remaining in the moderately healthy range. As of Thursday afternoon’s forecast, the Triad was expected to remain in Code Orange while the rest of the state would see the risk level decrease to Code Yellow.

“Both fine particulate and ozone concentrations should hold in the upper Code Yellow range, but possible ozone concerns may warrant an upgrade,” the DAQ forecast says.

For a detailed map of current air conditions, use the federal government’s AirNow.gov, which is produced by a partnership of several government agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Park Service, NASA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Has the smoke affected flights at RDU?

The smoke had a minor effect on flights at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, but by Friday morning only three flights were reported as delayed. None of the three — to Miami, Detroit and Chicago — appear to be smoke-related.

Five-mile visibility has been reported at the airport, meteorologist Kren said.

Thursday afternoon, about a dozen departing flights were delayed, including seven to cities in the Northeast. Those included flights to Baltimore, Newark, New York City and Washington, D.C.

As always, RDU recommends checking with your airline for any changes to arrivals and departures.

In a Twitter message Thursday, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said pilots rely on advanced navigation systems on their planes and on the ground to land when visibility is low. Those systems aren’t always effective when smoke or ash are in the air, said Kevin Morris, the spokesman.

That can lead to slower traffic or aircraft controllers leaving longer times between takeoffs and landings, Morris said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.