Code Orange Air Alert Thursday In Philadelphia Region

PHILADELPHIA — Another Air Quality Action Day has been declared for on Philadelphia region Thursday as Canadian wildfire smoke blankets the area.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection said Thursday will be a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day after Wednesday was elevated to a Code Red Action Day due to increased particulate matter in the air.

Officials said particulate levels in the air Wednesday were well into the unhealthy category.

Thursday is expected to see persistent smoky conditions through much of the day.

Air quality is expected to be highest in the morning, however quality is expected to worsen throughout the day due to Thursday's weather pattern.

The main low pressure system over Nova Scotia, Canada will begin to retrograde, meaning it will move from east to west, across the eastern Canada.

Officials said this westward movement will change the orientation of the winds over Pennsylvania, which models indicating the plume will actually shift further to the west, thus relaxing the onslaught of smoke over eastern Pennsylvania.

Even with the declining levels of particulate matter expected, overall averages should at least remain well within the Code Orange range, according to the DEP.

Over the coming days, officials said to expect the air quality to continue to improve.