FORECAST: Code Orange Air Quality Alert issued for most of the region

AIR QUALITY FORECAST

Code Orange alerts are in effect until Thursday.
The Code Orange alert covers most of our region, including Charlotte. There’s also a Code Orange for York, Chesterfield, Chester, and Lancaster counties in South Carolina.
By 12:30 p.m., air quality index values dropped from Code Orange to Code Yellow. The hope is that they won’t creep up again.
A Code Orange on the Air Quality Index represents unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups. Older adults, younger children and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma should limit prolonged or heavy exertion outdoors.
Channel 9′s Dave Faherty could smell smoke in Hickory, and it was hazy in the High Country as well.
This is all due to smoke from Canadian wildfires that have been entrenched in North Carolina. It is expected to be thicker Wednesday than it was Tuesday.
However, the worst is behind us as a cold front brings some evening rain and enough of a breeze to dissipate the smoke.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is asking students and staff with breathing concerns and respiratory issues to limit their outside activities, especially with field days and planned outdoor activities for the last few days of school.’

WEATHER FORECAST

Weatherwise, more clouds come in through the day and showers are approaching the mountains already Wednesday morning. We will see some of those getting into the metro by the afternoon.
No major rain is expected, so it may not help out the smoky haze too much.
Highs in the low to mid-80s.
Great weather is expected to return Thursday, with temperatures in the low 80s.
Our next chance of rain is late Sunday due to another cold front.

BELOW: The latest forecast update from Severe Weather Center 9.

This browser does not support the video element.

WEATHER RESOURCES:

FOLLOW OUR TEAM ON TWITTER:

(WATCH MORE: What is a Code Red Air Quality Alert?)

This browser does not support the video element.