The Washington, D.C., area is dealing with terrible air quality on Friday because of wildfire smoke drifting from Canada, sparking warnings to stay indoors.
The air in D.C. was rated very unhealthy, or code purple, early Friday morning. D.C. had the third-worst air quality in the world, behind Chicago and Detroit, according to IQAir.
“It’s just an ugly, smoky and really warm morning,” Storm Team4 Meteorologist Chuck Bell said. “You should stay inside today. The air quality is just awful.”
Code purple, very unhealthy air quality is expected in the DMV Friday. Poor air quality will persist into the night, and
“When the forecast is Purple (very unhealthy), everyone needs to cut back on outdoor activities,” AirNow.gov said. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens should avoid activities outdoors entirely.
The air quality may change throughout the day and from neighborhood to neighborhood as wildfire smoke wafts over a large part of the United States.
NBC4
NBC4
As the sun rose at Prospect Hill Park in Arlington on Friday, the thick smoke obscured the Air Force Memorial and blocked views of the National Cathedral.
Bell said air quality is expected to improve Saturday. Air monitoring officials say Saturday’s air quality is expected to be moderate, which could still pose health risks for sensitive groups.
‘I can taste it’
Air quality was at code orange on Thursday. A live look at the D.C. skyline showed hazy skies. The Capitol Building could barely be seen.
In Arlington, Virginia, plenty of people made sure to get outside early in the day. The early morning sun glowed a bit orange.
When Arlington resident Dave Knack woke up Thursday and stepped outside, he said he knew something was off.
“I can taste it. So, yeah, when I come out on my balcony in the morning, I go [lip smack, lip smack, lip smack] – there’s smog in the air here today,” he said.
He got in his daily walk early.
“If we don’t get out now, it’s going to be nasty,” Knack said.
Wildfire smoke caused D.C. to briefly have the worst air quality in the world in 2023.
What does a Code Red air quality alert mean?
An air quality alert is in effect for much of the D.C. area. Go here to check all severe weather alerts.
Under a Code Red, AirNow.gov says: “People with heart or lung disease, older adults, children and teens: Reduce your exposure by avoiding strenuous outdoor activities or keeping outdoor activities short. Consider moving physical activities indoors. Everyone else: Reduce your exposure by choosing less strenuous activities or shortening the amount of time you are active outdoors.”
[Credit: AirNow.gov]
Dr. John Torres, NBC News medical contributor, explained the health effects of low air quality.
“The more intense it is, the more particulates are in the air, and the problem with that is – once we start breathing it in, it’s an irritant,” he said. “And so not only is it going to irritant our lungs, our throat, the back of our mouth, it’s going to irritate our eyes, our nasal passages, pretty much everything, and so you have to listen to these alerts.”
Make sure doors and windows in your home are closed, and turn on the air conditioning if you can. If you don’t need to go outside, don’t.
Experts also say not driving helps cut down on pollutants that go into the air.
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