Millions of people in the Great Lakes, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states are muddling through another day of hazy, unhealthy air as smoke from wildfires in Minnesota and Canada push south and east. The nation’s capital was enveloped in an eerie haze Friday. Air quality warnings were expected to remain in effect at least through Saturday across a chunk of the U.S. There’s potential for temporary relief with storms forecast over the weekend. How long the reprieve lasts depends on what happens in Canada and Minnesota. There is also concern about how the air quality might impact the World Cup final in New Jersey on Sunday.

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A person takes a selfie from the Top of The Rock observation deck at the Rockefeller Center during an air quality health advisory due to wildfire smoke, in New York, Friday, July 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Ryan Murphy)

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Pedestians cross Borden Avenue as the New York City skyline is obscured during poor air quality due to smoke from Canadian wildfires Thursday, July 16, 2026, in the Queens borough of New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)