As thick smoke choked much of the Northeast on Friday and air quality alerts warned against outdoor activities, a problem as big as the smoke itself looms. Will air pollution be a problem for the World Cup final in New York City on Sunday afternoon?
No one likes a rainy weekend, but in this case it could be helpful.
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A storm system will bring rain to the Northeast Saturday afternoon and evening. This will wash smoke from the sky and temporarily shift wind direction, removing wind from the fire zone in southern Ontario and northern Minnesota.
A storm system moving through the Northeast on Saturday is moving over a fire zone near the Minnesota-Canada border this morning. That should suppress the fire and the smoke it produces and improve overall air quality in the coming days.
A storm system that developed in New York City on Saturday afternoon and evening could produce heavy downpours in the city and pose a brief risk of flash flooding, but should clear the area by Sunday morning.
This should result in comfortable conditions for Sunday afternoon’s game between Argentina and Spain, with temperatures in the low 80s. Skies should be clear but may still be cloudy due to smoke lingering near the ground.
Bottom line: Air quality won’t be perfect, but it should be much better than the past few days.
