The weather pattern that’s helped funnel thick, hazardous wildfire smoke down from Canada will continue to plague the central and eastern U.S. over the next several days, forecasters said, with only a brief break on Saturday, July 18, in some locations.
Due to the heavy smoke, air quality alerts have been issued for millions of people, including across all of Delaware, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, the National Weather Service said.
More than 800 wildfires are still burning across Canada, including dozens that are out of control across western Ontario, the source of most of the smoke, AccuWeather said July 17.
See the eerie haze of Canadian wildfire smoke blanketing US cities
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Wildfire smoke from Canada is drifting across the US, dimming skies and causing widespread air quality warnings, including in Northeast Ohio as the Akron Rubber Worker Statue frames the sun obscured in smoke on July 16, 2026, in Akron, Ohio. Scroll to see the impact.
(Andrew Dolph, Akron Beacon Journal via USA TODAY Network)Short-term relief in the Northeast
Some folks will get a brief break from the smoke on Saturday, July 18, as “showers and thunderstorms are likely Saturday afternoon and evening [July 18] in the Ohio Valley and much of the Northeast, helping to clean the air of smoke particles in those areas,” said Weather.com senior meteorologist Jonathan Erdman in an online forecast.
However, some of the storms could reach severe levels, the Storm Prediction Center said: “Severe thunderstorms are expected across portions of the Ohio Valley and Lower Great Lakes into the mid-Atlantic, mainly Saturday afternoon into the evening. Some threat may linger into late Saturday night,” the SPC said.
Where it’s not raining, NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center said that hot and humid conditions are expected to persist across the Great Lakes and northern Plains for several days, with daily highs in the 90s to lower 100s expected.
Raymond Flanagan, 47, walks with his daughter Lily Flanagan, 10, while visiting Perry Monument with his family at Presque Isle State Park near Erie, Pa., on July 16, 2026. Heavy smoke and air-quality warnings forced the family, from Cleveland, to rethink outdoor plans including a boat ride.
What about the World Cup final game?
“Unfortunately, model forecasts suggest two more southward plunges of smoke could happen starting Saturday [July 18] in the northern Great Lakes,” Edrman said. “By Sunday [July 19], that smoke could spread as far south as the Ohio Valley and possibly again invade parts of the mid-Atlantic and Northeast.”
However, in the New York City area, the skies look to be clear and smoke-free for the World Cup final game on Sunday, July 19, in New Jersey, the National Weather Service said.
Erdman said another round of smoke could nosedive southward through the Midwest beginning Tuesday and could make it into parts of the South by mid- to late next week.
Wildfire smoke shrouds popular US sites in haze: Photos
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The sun rises next to The Empire State Building through a cover of wildfire smoke, as viewed from Hoboken, N.J., July 17, 2026.
(Eduardo Munoz, REUTERS)How to stay smoke-safe
According to AccuWeather, people are encouraged to limit time outdoors amid the poor air quality, especially those in sensitive groups.
Spending time outdoors and exercising could increase the risk of impacts, including difficulty breathing, throat irritation and itchy eyes.
“Make sure to keep pets indoors to limit their exposure to poor air quality,” AccuWeather meteorologist Breanna Grill added.
The smoke can also limit temperatures amid an ongoing heat dome, and where the smoke is not as thick in the sky, create vivid sunrises and sunsets, AccuWeather said.
Doyle Rice is a national correspondent for USA TODAY, with a focus on weather and climate.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Here’s your latest smoke forecast for the weekend. When will it end?