If it looks a little hazy outside, it’s not your eyes.
Blackened skies and an apocalyptic orange haze have plagued the U.S. and Canada as toxic smoke from out-of-control wildfires in Canada and fires in northern Minnesota creates hazardous conditions for millions of people.
As air quality alerts remain in effect for multiple states July 17, including New Jersey, many people may be wondering if the smoke will lift in time for the World Cup Final on Sunday.
Here’s what we know.
When is the World Cup final? Where is it?
The World Cup final between Argentina and Spain is at 3 p.m. ET Sunday, July 19, at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Expected air conditions for World Cup final this weekend
When Argentina takes on Spain in the World Cup final Sunday, the skies above East Rutherford should be mostly clear and free of the heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires that have inundated the region for days, the National Weather Service said July 17.
“Sunday is the winner of the weekend,” Dominic Ramunni, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, told the Bergen Record. “Smoke doesn’t look to be much of a factor that day.”
The smoke will linger in the region until Saturday afternoon, when strong thunderstorms are expected to dissipate it, Ramunni said. Winds should carry smoke from southern Canada more to the Midwest, and the plume that has hovered over the Northeast should move out to sea, providing at least a temporary lull on Sunday.
See air quality in New Jersey, where World Cup final is being held
The map below displays the current air quality at monitoring sites in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Air monitoring sites are color-coded based on the pollutant (ozone or particulate matter) with the highest value. Particles that are less than 10 micrometers and 2.5 micrometers in diameter are called PM10 and PM2.5, respectively.
An AQI of 50 or below means the current air quality is good. The shaded areas of the map show the approximate boundaries where air quality is available and listed as anything other than good. The information is updated hourly.
Air Quality Index guidelines (ozone and particle pollution)
Some people are more sensitive to air pollution because of their age or health. People who are active or work outdoors are also at higher risk when the air quality is poor. Health concerns related to poor air quality may include difficulty breathing, coughing or wheezing and more serious health effects such as lung damage, asthma attacks, heart attacks and stroke.
Here’s how to interpret the Air Quality Index values, according to the U.S. EPA:
- Good (0-50): The level of pollution in the air is of little to no risk.
- Moderate (51-100): For people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution, a moderate health concern may exist.
- Unhealthy for sensitive groups (101-150): People who are more sensitive to air pollution may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
- Unhealthy (151-200): Some people may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
- Very unhealthy (201-300): An alert is triggered; the general population is at risk for more serious health effects.
- Hazardous (301-500): Emergency conditions health alert: Everyone is likely to be affected.
Contributing: Cheryl Vari, The Cincinnati Enquirer; Scott Fallon, Bergen Record, and The Detroit Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Will poor air quality affect World Cup final? What’s expected Sunday
