File:Smoke From Canadian Wildfires Blankets U S (NESDIS 2023-06-08 2023 06 08 Canadian Wildfire Smoke).webm

English: According to NOAA's AerosolWatch, the smoke caused historic Code Red (Unhealthy) daily fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) air quality across New York, eastern Pennsylvania, and western Connecticut on June 6. Daily air quality in the region worsened to Code Purple (Very Unhealthy) on June 7, including New York City and Philadelphia. As of the morning of June 7, historically high fine particulate concentrations were seen further south into the Mid-Atlantic region, and reports from the ground stated limited visibility and campfire-like smells. Code Red means some members of the general public may experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects. Sensitive groups include children, senior citizens, and people with respiratory or cardiovascular diseases, such as asthma. For Code Purple conditions, the risk of health effects is increased for everyone. NOAA’s geostationary satellites provide timely and potentially life-saving information in a dynamic fire environment. GOES East and GOES West frequently detect fires before they are spotted on the ground, which is particularly important in remote areas. The satellites also track fires in real time, identify and track smoke, and determine a fire’s size and temperature. The Joint Polar Satellite System’s NOAA-20 and Suomi NPP satellites play an important role in detecting and tracking wildfires, especially in remote regions. Their high spatial resolution imager detects smaller and lower-temperature fires and also provides nighttime fire detection. The data from these satellites is also critical to smoke models used by fire crews, first responders, and air traffic controllers.