Categories
It’s baaaaack: Wildfire smoke set to blanket WNY
It’s baaaaack: Wildfire smoke spreads across WNY
Eric SnitilTue, July 14, 2026 at 4:33 PM UTC1 min readAdd Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.AN AIR QUALITY ALERT IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF WNY WEDNESDAY
Wildfire smoke is here.
Gallery from around Rochester:
(Photo/News 8 Sky Cam)
Wildfire smoke Manchester, NY (Photo/Melissa DeSain)
Wildfire smoke Bergen (Photo/Ruby S)
(Photo/News 8 Sky Cam Network)
Wildfire smoke in Brockport (Photo/ Jeremy Michelson)
Ongoing wildfires across southern Canada are spewing copious amounts of smoke into the atmosphere. The jet stream is in such a way that the smoky air is flowing right overhead, and that is mixing down to the surface.
This will mean the air quality is expected to drop significantly through Thursday. Remember that when the air quality drops, the Air Quality Index (AQI) goes up.
Send us your smoky photos by clicking the image below
We are certainly no strangers to smoke. Many will remember how rough 2023 was in this department. We are well-versed on the topic and know that much of the time, this smoke simply exists aloft and does nothing more than provide a haze and add vibrancy to our sunrises and sunsets. However, conditions with this round appear favorable for atmospheric mixing to drive some of this smoke down to the surface, affecting air quality.
Remember to take precautions outdoors if you work outside and plan on spending a lot of time outside.
AdvertisementAdvertisementCopyright 2026 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to RochesterFirst.