Scorching heat and smokey skies are set to blanket Massachusetts on Wednesday, with temperatures climbing in the 90s as Canadian wildfire haze drifts across New England.
No air quality alerts have been issued for Massachusetts by the National Weather Service as of 7 a.m. Wednesday, though neighboring parts of Connecticut and New Hampshire were under alerts.
However, the entire state was under a “moderate” impact in air quality on Wednesday morning, according to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).
The “moderate” impact is expected to remain through the day, and skies may appear hazy at times from the wildfire smoke as it heads northeast, according to Weather Service forecaster Emily McMinn.
Central Massachusetts and areas of the North Shore will experience the heaviest smoke, DEP said. The impact level may briefly rise to “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in those areas.
High temperatures, light winds and sunny skies statewide are expected to help along this “rise in fine particle and ozone pollution” on Wednesday, DEP said.
Western Massachusetts is forecast to be the warmest region in the Bay State on Wednesday, with temperatures reaching highs of 91 degrees in Springfield. Eastern and Central Massachusetts will hit highs of 88 and 86 degrees, respectively.
But a break in the dry conditions on Thursday afternoon should help “cleanse the atmosphere” of smoke before another weekend of wet weather, forecaster Matthew Belk said.
As heat and humidity increase, clouds are expected to move in Thursday afternoon, bringing a chance of thunderstorms and downpours.
The precipitation will give way to another hot and humid day on Friday, with cloudy skies and temperatures in the 80s. Another round of showers late Friday is expected to break the heat, as residents prepare for a rainy Saturday evening into Sunday.
Between a half-inch to an inch of rain — with downpours in some northern parts of the state — is projected to fall overnight by Sunday morning. The end of the weekend may dry out, but cooler temperatures are expected.
