Long Island air quality: 'Trending in a good direction,' with ground-level ozone alerts

Long Island's air quality is expected to be moderately healthy — which means acceptable for everyone — Sunday through Tuesday, as forecasters anticipate the air pollution due to Canadian wildfires will trend in a positive direction.

In the meantime, the dayslong celebration of the Fourth of July is expected to bring a mix of sun and showers, though the holiday itself is expected to be mostly sunny and dry, forecasters said.

Meteorologist Bryan Ramsey of the National Weather Service said areas on Long Island saw the air quality toggle back and forth Saturday between moderately healthy and unhealthy for people with sensitive conditions. 

"It's trending in a good direction," he said, adding that the trend should continue for the next two to three days.

Because of the improved air quality, live horse racing resumed at Belmont Park on Saturday afternoon, according to the New York Racing Association. Racing had been canceled Friday because of the smoky conditions.

Health advisories due to ground-level ozone in the air remained in effect for Long Island, New York City, the Lower Hudson Valley, the Upper Hudson Valley, and the Adirondacks regions, according to the state Department of Environmental Conservation website.

Wildfire smoke can enhance the production of ground-level ozone, which is the major component of smog. The surface pollutant should not be confused with the protective layer of ozone in the upper atmosphere.

Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday that the Canadian wildfires' adverse impact on New York's air quality was expected to improve over the next few days.

Air quality index

The map below shows real-time air quality index figures across the United States, updated hourly according to the federal website airnow.gov. The map shows the levels of particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), which are tiny particles or droplets in the air that are 2½ microns or less in width. The different colors shown on the map indicate if these levels have reached unhealthy levels, with yellow being “moderate,” orange being “unhealthy for sensitive groups” and red “unhealthy” for all groups. Zoom in and out, and search for specific locations using the buttons at the bottom.

"There’s no end in sight to these wildfires," she warned. "So I think this is something we’re going to have to adapt to for the next few months and possibly beyond."

Meanwhile, the weather forecast for Sunday anticipates a chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 5 p.m., the weather service said. Temperatures are expected to reach 77 degrees. 

Sunday night is expected to bring showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 11. The low temperature will be 69 degrees. 

Monday will be partly sunny with a 40% chance of showers and thunderstorms, with a high near 84 degrees. Monday night brings a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 a.m., with a low around 70, the weather service said.

Independence Day will be mostly sunny with a high near 86 degrees, forecasters said. Tuesday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 70 degrees, they said.

With Lorena Mongelli

By Craig Schneider

craig.schneider@newsday.comScraigo

Craig Schneider is a Long Island native and Stony Brook University alumnus. He joined Newsday as a general assignment reporter in January 2018 after 20 years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.