We in the Southern Tier of New York State can see the sky again. The sun is not a hazy, red ball (if you can see it at all) in the sky as I write this post (4 pm on June 8).
Syracuse, New York's air quality index (AQI) Wednesday morning was 428 yesterday morning, on a scale that tops out at 500. The haze then traveled down to New York City, where the New York City skyline faded into a red/orange haze and people redonned N-95 masks to walk outside. The people on our West Coast are too familiar with this type situation and here's some advice on masks from the State of Washington.
We never left the house Wednesday. Our county parks were closed. Schools didn't allow their students out for recess or athletics. I had taken the week off, so was fortunate enough not to need to go anywhere.
Here, the air was more yellow, with a bouquet of somewhere between camp fire and stinky cigar. It got into the house through cracks and you could smell it inside.
The big surprise was how the temperature was held down. My spouse said "I think we are having a tiny taste of nuclear winter". It only got to 64F (18.9 C) yesterday. It should have been around 80F (26.7C).
So I don't have dramatic pictures to show you, but I have a feeling that other skywatchers will provide those. Instead, here are some photos I took during a weekend visit to the New York City area. Let's contrast Saturday with Monday, when the sky temporarily cleared.
A small part of Co-Op City in the Bronx (one of the five boroughs) Saturday.
And Monday.
Here is the skyline Monday. The reflection in the driver side side mirror is a bonus.
About halfway home on Monday, returning to the Southern Tier of New York where we live, we ran back into the haze. We ended up cancelling the rest of our week's plans.
Thursday, a temporary reprieve. What you see are real clouds, not haze. We can see the clouds! Celebrate good times!
The haze should be back by the time this posts Friday.
Joining Yogi and other sky watching bloggers for #SkywatchFriday.
For all my blog readers and social media friends, if you are in affected areas, stay safe.
When I walked out of my front door yesterday, all I could smell was smoke. Last night it was getting dark at six PM and the sky looked like snow was coming. Hopefully it will be better today. I have 'stuff' to do outside.
ReplyDelete...are these the hazing lazing days of summer?
ReplyDeleteMasks are very useful items to keep at home. I've realized that during the three years of covid. Thank God, I didn't catch neither covid not the influenza.
ReplyDeleteYeah, just a bit of haze … you should have been able to see the skyline from the bridge.
ReplyDeleteI saw so many pictures of the orange haze over NYC, it looked like the aftermath of armageddon. You were smart to stay in as much as possible, can't imagine trying to breathe outdoors, even in some of the less affected areas.
ReplyDeleteGood golly! That smoke is awful! We're smelling it again here today. I feel like half of Canada has burned up this year. I'm grateful for the beautiful shots you managed!
ReplyDeleteA gloomy sky provokes mood.
ReplyDeleteThank for putting the link to the mask information. So many people just put on regular masks, like during COVID, which are useless.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad things are starting to clear out for you. Take care.
ReplyDeleteI know what it is like to live with smoke filled sky.
ReplyDeleteCoffee is on, and stay safe.
That's some pretty bad air quality. We had a little bit drift down to Oklahoma. It doesn't bother my breathing but it seems to affect my eyes a little.
ReplyDeleteI hope everybody gets some relief soon.
Wonderful shots. So sorry about the smoke.
ReplyDeleteAwesome sky shots ~ despite the bad air quality ~
ReplyDeleteWishing you good health, laughter, and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
A lot of people were watching the sky last week. You got some terrific photos.
ReplyDelete