SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) – You can see it.

You can smell it.

We’re talking Canadian Wildfire smoke. It’s as thick as many can remember ever occurring in our area.

For much of May, the smoke was courtesy of wildfires primarily in Western Canada.

However, the main source of this week’s smoke is from wildfires in the province of Quebec, only about 400-500 miles north of Syracuse.

More than 150 wildfires burning in Quebec have not been able to get under control according to CBC News. Officials have evacuated 754 residents farther south in the Quebec providence to either Dupuy or La Sarre.

The Air Quality Index, or AQI, jumped to 172 for Syracuse Tuesday afternoon, which is at an unhealthy level for everyone regardless of overall health conditions.

EVERYONE should limit their time outdoors. This has resulted in numerous outdoor events and schools to cancel, postpone, or move activities indoors Tuesday afternoon and evening.

These plumes of smoke are being transported south into the Great Lakes, New York State and Northeast compliments of a persistent north-northwest flow at many levels of the atmosphere.

Abnormally dry and hot conditions set up last week as temperatures soared into the 80s and 90s leading to an increasing threat of forest and brush fires.

The forecast is for the hazy sky from the smoke to continue through most of the first week of June in CNY. The smoke from these wildfires is lower than the smoke was from the wildfire smoke we saw from the Alberta, Canada wildfires and therefore is making it hazier and more hazardous for anyone exerting themselves, especially those that have respiratory issues, elderly, and very young.

For this reason, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at Albany has issued an Air Quality Alert for all of New York State until at least midnight Tuesday night.