ALBANY COUNTY — Snow is expected to fall in Albany County on Monday night, continuing through Tuesday morning, tapering off in the afternoon, according to the National Weather Service.

“Hot and humid conditions are expected to continue across some areas on Thursday where another heat advisory will likely be needed,” said the National Weather Service on Tuesday evening. “In addition, there is a chance of thunderstorms Thursday through Sunday, mainly during the afternoon and early evening hours.”

ALBANY COUNTY — By Friday afternoon the air quality in Albany County had reached the “unhealthy” level with an index number of 158 because of particulate matter in the air caused by the wildfires in Canada.

Wildfire smoke downwind affects not just health but also wealth and mortality, according to new research from Cornell University, Nanjing University, and the University of Houston, published earlier this month.

On Thursday evening, Governor Kathy Hochul issued a release about expected rainfall in the next few days. 

ALBANY COUNTY — The Albany area on Thursday, June 15, along with part of the Adirondacks had “moderate” as opposed to “good” air quality, according to AirNow.gov, a website run in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency.

Using data reported for “respiratory symptoms” on June 8 from Emergency Medical Services response data, which is a timely early-warning source, the health department observed a statewide increase of 17.8 percent in the rates per 100,000 on Wednesday, June 7, as compared to the average of the five-day period of June 1 through 5. At the same time, for the metropolitan New York City region, the increase was 28.4 percent and for the Capital Region, it was 12.4 percent.

ALBANY COUNTY — Speaking from the University at Albany on Wednesday evening, Governor Kathy Hochul said the poor air quality throughout most of the state caused by wildfires in Quebec was “unprecedented.”

“The bigger ecological story here is the fact that the beetles can damage the pine stands — that is more a symptom of an ecosystem’s health,” says Neil Gifford, the conservation director for the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.

The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, Northeastern Cave Conservancy, and Huyck Preserve and Biological Research Station each received funds from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation as part of a $3.4 million statewide grant disbursement.