The D.C. region jumped onto the list of the world’s most polluted major cities overnight as smoke billowing south from Canadian wildfires quickly contributed to Friday morning’s smog.
A Code Purple Air Quality Alert is in effect for the District as of Friday morning, meaning that air pollution concentrations within the region are “very unhealthy for the general population,” according to the National Weather Service.
“The risk of health effects is increased for everyone,” the alert reads. “The effects of air pollution can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise outdoors.”
This is up from Code Yellow in the surrounding suburban areas and northern Virginia on Thursday, having jumped to orange, red and purple throughout the day and overnight.
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A Code Red Air Quality Alert, one grade below purple, is in effect for the entire area, including most of Maryland, through midnight.
All residents should reduce their exposure to wildfire smoke, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments said in a statement.
“In general, most healthy adults and children will experience minor effects, such as respiratory irritation, and recover quickly from smoke,” it said. “However, certain groups may be at greater risk of more severe health effects, such as people with heart and lung disease, children, older adults, and outdoor workers.”
People are recommended to “take it easier during smoky times,” including avoiding strenuous activities such as mowing the lawn or going for a run and rescheduling outdoor work tasks and activities.
The District hit Code Purple once already this summer, from the Fourth of July’s “Freedom 250” fireworks show, which briefly made Washington the world’s most polluted major city in the early morning hours of July 5.
The air quality is expected to drop a few grades over the weekend, with visible improvement on Saturday thanks to a cold front. But even as regional residents may have some reprieve from the smoke and heat, it will come with multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms, with the potential for large hail, a couple of tornadoes and damaging wind gusts.
Smoke from the massive Canadian wildfires is compounding hot, sunny conditions that are already cooking vehicle and industrial emissions into ground-level ozone, further straining the region’s air quality.
The District, Northern Virginia and most of Maryland are not alone in their concerning air quality, joined by northern cities in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and New York. Thick haze enveloped major cities including Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Boston and New York City.
Canada’s 2026 fire season started slowly but ramped up sharply in mid-July, burning roughly 3.5 million acres. More than 800 wildfires are currently blazing across America’s northern neighbor.
Earlier this week, numerous wildfires spread in far northern Minnesota and western Ontario, and thick smoke spread across North America’s skies in the days that followed.
