Maps show how New Jersey wildfire smoke may affect air quality in Massachusetts
When there's wildfire smoke in Massachusetts, it's usually coming from thousands of miles away in Canada or the west coast. This time, it's from the wildfire in New Jersey.
The wildfire in Ocean County, New Jersey started on Tuesday and now covers more than 15,000 acres. It's one of the biggest in New Jersey in the last few decades.
The wildfire smoke will be somewhat diluted when it arrives in the Boston area Friday.
The greatest concentration of smoke in Massachusetts will likely be on Friday morning. You may notice a bit of a haze in the sky or a bit of an orange-brown hue.
The air quality levels in Massachusetts may briefly drop into the "moderate" group Friday. We do not anticipate any air quality advisories or alerts being issued for unhealthy air in Boston or New England.
Later on Friday, shifting winds will further dilute and push the smoke out of our area. The rain coming on Saturday will clean out any leftover smoke particles.
The smoke is coming as a new report suggests the air quality in Boston, Worcester and Providence is getting worse. No counties in Massachusetts earned "A" grades, according to researchers.
