A fire in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is contributing to poor air quality in New York City due to a cold air inversion phenomenon.
If you notice the air quality in New York City feels off today, you're not mistaken. A fire that ignited yesterday afternoon in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is contributing to the poor air quality . The fire, located over 150 miles away, is affecting the city due to a weather phenomenon known as cold air inversion.
Several factors converged as the Lancaster fire developed: a significant amount of snow cover west of Interstate 95, a frigid air mass, light southwest wind, and mostly clear skies allowing for rapid radiative cooling.This combination created a situation where cold, dense air settled at the surface, while warmer air remained trapped above. Unable to escape, the cold air trapped smoke from the fire close to the ground. As night fell and the Earth's surface cooled, the trapped smoke was carried eastward by the southwest wind towards the Tri-State Area. The Air Quality Index (AQI) map corroborates this movement, showing high and unhealthy levels near and east of the fire's origin, with progressively healthier levels closer to the Tri-State Area.Looking ahead, temperatures are expected to warm slightly, reaching the freezing mark for the first time since Sunday. Although Friday will see highs around 33 degrees Fahrenheit in NYC, the weekend will bring another dip in temperatures. Saturday will see temperatures slightly below freezing, while Sunday is predicted to return to normal levels with a chance of disorganized snow showers in the northwest suburbs. The rest of the week is expected to remain relatively quiet with no significant precipitation events. Unfortunately, this pattern of cold weather will likely exacerbate the ongoing drought situation in the Tri-State Area
Air Quality Cold Air Inversion Lancaster Fire Philadelphia Weather New York Weather
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