Wildfire smoke and poor air quality expected on Thursday in Pittsburgh | First Alert Weather

The next two days are First Alert Weather days due to hot weather and air quality. The air quality is expected to be at its worst this evening, overnight, and into Friday afternoon. 

Thursday is a Code Red Day issued by the Pennsylvania DEP. This means the air is unhealthy for everyone, and time spent outdoors should be limited. The worst time for the smoke will be overnight, and we could potentially even get into the purple range, where we go up to "very unhealthy."

High temperatures on Thursday will be right at 90 degrees, but smoke may be thick enough to keep us out of the 90s. It will be close. Morning temperatures dipped to the mid-70s, and noon temperatures will likely already be near 90. Winds will be fairly light coming in from the northwest at 5-10 mph.  

What impact does this have on you? 

First off, you should do your best to get outdoor activities done early today and plan on indoor activities for all of Friday. Keep windows closed. Limit strenuous activities. Settle in and watch a good movie. 

Air quality will improve on Saturday morning, but it will still be a First Alert Weather Day due to storm chances. 

While air quality will be better on Saturday, if you have outdoor plans on Saturday, you will be dodging rain and storms all day long. 

Saturday will see big gaps in between rain, with storm chances rising with every new wave of storms. Severe weather will more than likely be confined to Saturday evening after 6 p.m.