Smoke and haze from the wildfires in the western U.S. can be seen drifting southeast across the Tri-State area in this satellite imagery. This will filter the sunshine here throughout the day today. pic.twitter.com/LfSay79IQy

— NWS New York NY (@NWSNewYorkNY) July 20, 2021

Caitlin O'Kane reports for CBS News that, it may be hard to tell with all the clouds and rain lately, but smoke from distant fires in the western United States has reached New York. On July 20, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation issued an air quality alert for the state, with ozone levels at the surface increasing due to wildfire smoke. The DEC warned those with heart or lung disease as well as older adults and some children to limit outdoor activities. The Upper Hudson Valley air was labeled "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" by the DEC. "That fine particulate matter can be very troubling for people with lung disease, also children and elderly, as well as heart disease. So when you have any sort of underlying illness you have to be really careful not to overexert yourself in this when you’re outside,” said Dr. Keith Rose with Hackensack University Medical Center. Wildfires to the west continue in 13 states, with 83 large fires burning 1,293,636 acres so far, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. An extreme drought, made worse by global warming, has engulfed the western United States this summer, while the Hudson Valley has been drenched the last two weeks. Read more about this story at the CBS News website.