Philadelphia is still under an air quality alert with levels Thursday afternoon now being reported as “unhealthy”. Philly’s air quality rating reached its worse levels Thursday morning ranking in the “hazardous” zone.
As the East Coast continues to bear the brunt of smoky aftermath due to the Canada wildfires, air quality levels in the city are set to slowly improve over the weekend. According to AirNow.gov, the current AQI level in Philadelphia is 189, which falls under the category of “unhealthy”.
Yesterday, Philly was under a code red alert and this morning reached a code purple. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern.
The City Takes A Pause
In response to the severity of the air quality Thursday morning, Philadelphia halted trash collection services. Several popular institutions such as The Philadelphia Zoo and Longwood Gardens have closed. Furthermore, all Center City Parks, including Sister Cities Park’s and Dilworth Park’s Rothman Roller Rink have suspended services. The same is set in place for events happening across the city into Thursday evening.
After postponing Wednesday’s Phillies vs. Tigers game, MLB is continuing to monitor air quality levels. Philadelphia schools, for the second day, have ordered students to close windows, stay inside, and cancel field trips.
How To Stay Safe Under Current Conditions
The Philadelphia Department of Health is recommending the following precautions for all Philly residents:
- Avoid going outdoors as much as possible – If you have to go outdoors, wear a high quality mask, like an N95 or KN95 mask
- Close all windows and doors
- Recirculate the air in your home with fans
- Pay attention to their bodies; if they are having trouble breathing, feeling nauseous, or dizzy, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible.
When Will The Air Quality Improve
There’s still a few more plumes of smoke expected to fall over Philly before clearing out. According to meteorologists at CBS Philly, the air quality will improve a bit before worsening overnight when cool air sinks closer to the surface. The city may very well still be in a Code Red for air quality by the nighttime hours.
We should see close-to-normal conditions return by Friday morning but another batch of smoke to the west may get pulled into our area into Saturday, so this is a slow improvement.
You can stay up to date on the air quality in Philly by clicking here.