Upstate New York bears the brunt of the state’s smoke pollution.

There were air quality warnings in it multiple the state of New York towns on Thursday afternoon as the smoke plume from wildfires drifted east.

Officials in Buffalo — the state’s second most populous city, on the shores of Lake Erie — said conditions had improved since Wednesday but warned the city remained under an air quality warning. In Rochester, on Lake Ontario, officials handed out masks at a local jazz festival Wednesday evening, and the airport continued to report “widespread haze” Thursday. In the Hudson Valley, where picturesque towns beckon New Yorkers during the summer months, a constant gray miasma hung all morning after days of rain cleared the sky earlier in the week.

“It’s still appropriate for most people in the city to enjoy the outdoors today,” said Jackie Bray, the commissioner of the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Service. during a press conference on Thursday morning. “That’s not true in the state.”

The air quality index remained in the “unhealthy” range in several regions of New York state, including Central New York and Eastern Lake Ontario. A statewide health advisory for air quality was in effect through Friday.

In western New York, some residents said they were unaffected by the smoke, while others changed their plans as a result.

At the food court of the Walden Galleria mall near Buffalo, Lakisha Tyson said that although she and her two children, who are 16 and 7, had no health problems affecting their breathing, she had decided not to take them to the park. .

“It’s not a good smell; it’s a poisonous smell,’ said Ms. Tyson, 39, from Rochester. “You must wear a mask.”

Zackary Martin, 22, of Springville, NY, southeast of Buffalo, said he chose not to hike his favorite trail because of the poor air quality.

“It made me reevaluate my plans for the entire week,” he said.

Officials have encouraged residents to check the air quality index where they live and be aware of how their bodies respond to air quality: Coughing, a runny nose and watery eyes could be signs that particulate matter has been absorbed into the lungs.

“I had a sore throat all day yesterday,” says Shawna Brown, 41, of Olcott, NY, on the shores of Lake Ontario. She added that the smoke had prevented her from running errands yesterday.

The situation on Thursday, while unhealthy, was not as dangerous as earlier this month, when smoke from the Canadian wildfires turned the sky in New York a hazy orange and the air smelled of burning wood. At that time, the index was between 300 and 500 in some parts of the state.

Gov. Hochul said smoke was expected to linger in the state until Friday. She said the wind would most likely die down in the coming days, but it was impossible “to predict at this point what will happen for the holiday season on Monday and Tuesday.”

Lauren D’Avolio reporting contributed.