Smoky Skies Over Long Island Due To California Wildfires

LONG ISLAND, NY — Long Islanders on Tuesday were told it would be mostly sunny, but wildfires 2,500 miles away resulted in a smoky layer of haze.

Smoke from wildfires consuming California, Oregon and Washington state reached the East Coast on Monday, including the Hudson Valley and New York City. It traveled more than 2,500 miles, forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said. The smoke is about 25,000 feet high, though it shouldn't affect local air quality, the National Weather Service said.

Satellite images showed a jet stream carrying smoke to the region and causing the sun to appear hazy. Temperatures felt a bit cooler than normal as a result.

"As has been the case the past couple of days some haze will likely be noticeable due to the fires out west," NWS forecasters said of Wednesday's forecast.

Smoke could linger in the area until it's sent off the coast by a cold front Friday.

If you looked up to the sky today, you may have seen a yellow or brown tinge. You were seeing smoke from the fires out W. This GOES-16 visible satellite shows smoke at 25,000 ft, as well as active fires and the busy tropics. We took a photo at our office to show the smoky sky. pic.twitter.com/tAgfomjNNC
— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) September 15, 2020

Hazy skies over Long Island today. pic.twitter.com/wzCyFdjnUM
— Alex Jares, Ph.D. (@alex_jares) September 16, 2020

Wild evening sky tonight on Long Island. Earth or Mars....? TBD #wildfires #LongIsland pic.twitter.com/T7fnUoYjif
— Mike Nav (@Mike_Navi) September 15, 2020

hazy, smoky sunshine on long island. smoke level around 25,000 feet. smoke from the forest fires over the Northeast. pic.twitter.com/HOOIuyO0qX
— RichHoffmanWeather (@hoffmanrich) September 15, 2020

SEE: 35 Dead In WildFires; President: 'It'll Start Getting Cooler'

Long Island has seen temperatures about 5-8 degrees below average for this time of year. Wednesday saw a high of just 70 degrees. Temperatures were expected to climb to a high of 76 on Thursday and dip back to 65 on Friday.

Long Island Forecast

Wednesday

Mostly sunny, with a high near 70. South wind 8 to 13 mph.

Wednesday night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 64. South wind 8 to 11 mph.

Thursday

Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Southwest wind 6 to 8 mph.

Thursday Night

A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. South wind 6 to 14 mph becoming north after midnight.

Friday

A 20 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. North wind 15 to 18 mph.

Friday Night

Partly cloudy, with a low around 54.

Saturday

Sunny, with a high near 63.

Saturday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Sunday

Sunny, with a high near 62.

Sunday Night

Mostly clear, with a low around 52.