Did you smell that? NYC wakes to smoke from NJ wildfires

NEW YORK - New Yorkers woke up Saturday to a light brown haze and smoky air, as a nearby wildfire and chilly morning temperatures created an inversion that trapped the smoke close to the ground.

Video from LaGuardia Airport showed a layer of brown haze hovering just above the Manhattan skyline, and several residents told FOX Weather their homes "smelled like a campfire" Saturday morning. Health officials have advised sensitive groups, including children and the elderly, to limit outdoor activities until air quality improves.

"New Yorkers come together in times of crisis, and right now, amidst the driest spell in recent memory, we need New Yorkers to do just that and conserve as much water as possible," New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a recent statement. 

One fire brought dozens of firefighters to Prospect Park in Brooklyn.

With dry weather conditions increasing the risk of wildfires, Fire Weather Warnings were in place along the Jersey Shore through the weekend. Firefighters responded to at least a dozen fires in the tri-state area on Friday, sending occasional smoke plumes into New York City's boroughs.

According to FOX Weather, calm and clear conditions overnight allowed surface temperatures around New York to drop into the low 40s, while a warmer air layer above the ground created a temperature inversion. 

Wildfire burning in Northern New Jersey (FOX Weather)

Light winds from the north-northwest carried smoke from wildfires burning in northern New Jersey toward the city. One fire near the New York-New Jersey border appears to be a significant source of the smoke, according to the FOX Forecast Center. 

The Pompton Lakes fire, which has burned 75 acres as of Saturday morning, is also contributing to the smoke in the area.

The inversion is expected to clear as the day warms and the smoke layer should thin out.

But wildfires and smoke remain a threat through the weekend as the Northeast endures one of its driest stretches on record. 

FOX Weather contributed to this report.