Storms threaten Northeast as wildfire smoke shifts west

More than 50 million people in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic faced a weekend severe weather threat as smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota continued to foul air across large parts of the United States, with conditions expected to improve in the East as storms and a cold front move through.

The severe weather risk stretched from the Ohio Valley through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, including New York City, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Forecasts called for damaging winds, large hail, isolated tornadoes and flash flooding. The National Weather Service said scattered flash flooding was possible from Washington to Boston as rounds of storms developed ahead of the front, with urban areas at higher risk because of heavy runoff.

New York City had a flood watch in effect as it prepared for thunderstorms and strong wind gusts. Thunderstorms, flooding and a possible tornado risk were also forecast for the mid-Atlantic, much of Pennsylvania and other parts of the Northeast.

The same weather system could help clear smoke from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, where poor air quality persisted Saturday after a week of haze that affected at least 19 states. NPR reported that dangerous levels of pollution were expected to remain over the Midwest even as the air improved farther east.

“As we start clearing out here in the east, they’re going to get the next batch of smoke later this afternoon into tonight across areas from upper Michigan, eastern Wisconsin, into Illinois and Indiana, including Chicago,” National Weather Service forecaster Brian Hurley told NPR. “That will continue through [Sunday], unfortunately.”

Hurley said conditions around Washington were improving after landmarks were shrouded in thick smoke, though pollution would remain elevated. “But not nearly to the level that we’ve been seeing. We’re only talking about maybe a fourth or a third of the concentration of particulates,” he said, adding that the haze would mostly fade by Sunday.

Clearer air was also expected north of Washington along the East Coast, including New York City and northern New Jersey, where Argentina and Spain were scheduled to play Sunday’s World Cup final at MetLife Stadium. MLS analyst and former professional soccer player Sacha Kljestan told CBS News that if rain does not improve air quality, it might be “a concern” for the match. He said he did not expect FIFA to change or postpone the final, but poor air quality could “slow the game down.”

Major League Baseball postponed Friday’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland because of poor air quality, moving it to Saturday.

More than 900 active wildfires were burning in Canada, including in Manitoba and Ontario near the northern U.S. border, NPR reported. In Minnesota, state and federal officials warned that fire conditions remained volatile. More than 600 firefighters were battling blazes in the northeastern part of the state in extremely hot and dry conditions, MPR News reported. The fires had burned more than 70,000 acres and were nearing residential and resort areas under evacuation orders Saturday. Officials said Minnesota air quality levels had broken records in recent days.

President Trump, in a Truth Social post Friday, threatened new tariffs on Ottawa, accusing Canada of failing to maintain its forests and saying the U.S. was being “invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air.” He said he planned to call Prime Minister Mark Carney. “This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying,” Trump wrote in part. Canadian officials have said both countries share responsibility in fighting climate change, according to NPR.

Health experts warned that smoke particles can harm vulnerable people, including children, pregnant women, older adults and those with pre-existing conditions. Peter DeCarlo, a professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, recommended using air purifiers indoors and N-95 masks outside. “N-95 masks are protective, not only from COVID particles, but also for pollution,” he said.

Farther south, conditions in Texas continued to improve after deadly flooding, though some rivers remained high. CBS News reported that two feet of rain fell across central Texas in just days and that recovery efforts were continuing. Resident Kat Stafford said rain washed away everything inside the business where she works. “I’m trying to dry out the main documents, papers and stuff, financial documents,” she said. In areas where roads remained impassable, the Texas National Guard was using aircraft for rescues and medical transports.