A thick layer of wildfire smoke is turning the air into a real concern across parts of the northern United States and Canada, and a handful of major sports events are now worth watching closely.
The problem starts with wildfires burning in Minnesota and across the Canadian border. That smoke has been carried east by the wind into cities including Toronto, New York, Buffalo and Boston, leaving those areas with unsafe air quality ratings.
There’s no clear answer yet on how long this will last, but the timing makes it a live issue as MLB comes out of the All-Star Break and the World Cup moves toward its final on Sunday in New Jersey.
The air quality index, or AQI, is the measure to keep an eye on. Readings from 0-50 carry pretty much no risk.
Once the number gets to 51-100, the air is moderately messy. Anything over 100 starts to become unhealthy, especially for sensitive groups.
Above 151 is unhealthy for pretty much everyone, and anything over 200 is considered “very unhealthy.”
That leaves several games in the spotlight this week.
Thursday brings the Philadelphia Phillies hosting the New York Mets after the break, and Philadelphia sits on the southern edge of where the poor air quality appears to be moving. That game will probably be fine, but the air could still be a question mark before first pitch.
Toronto’s situation is a little different. The Blue Jays are back home Friday night against the Chicago White Sox, and because they can close the roof at their stadium, they’ll probably be able to play. Even so, travel to and from the ballpark could be an issue for fans.
The Yankees are also at home Friday night, welcoming the Dodgers to the Stadium in a matchup that could come with a visible haze.
Boston is another city to watch. The Red Sox are scheduled to host the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:35 p.m. on Friday, and if conditions worsen by then, the safety of playing could come into question.
Then there’s the biggest event on the calendar: the World Cup Final on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET in New Jersey. The hope is that it won’t be affected at all, but if the nearby baseball games start getting impacted before then, it could raise some doubts.
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