A week ago, the sky was painted an intense orange and yellow NYproduct of the smoke of hundreds of forest fires Canada. Now the winds are driving the smoke back towards the Big Apple and other American cities.

The smoke is expected back to the New York area starting this Thursday eveningaccording to the National Weather Service office in Upton, New York.

“Smoke from the Canadian wildfires will return to the forecast area today through Friday. The good news is that based on the latest predictions from the high resolution, fast update (HRRR) smoke model, the vast majority of smoke should remain airborne,” the organization said in a tweet today.

Bill Goodman, a meteorologist with the Weather Service in Upton, explained that this time to The Times “it will be experienced as foggy skies” and that “smoke on the surface should be negligible.”

According to the expert, the greatest concentration over New York City will be early Friday morning and this will produce “a beautiful red sunrise.”

As of noon on Thursday afternoon, New York’s air quality index (AQI) was “good,” according to AirNow.

The Air Quality Index Comprehensive Forecast on the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s website indicated that the AQI for the New York City area would reach 65 Friday, putting it in the “moderate” range.

In the Midwestern United States, the air quality index in Chicago, Illinois, on Thursday morning was 137, “unhealthy for some.” In addition, an air quality alert is in effect in the state of Minnesota until Friday.

Winds last week blew smoke into New York and much of the eastern United States, blanketing the region in haze that slowed flights and closed schools because the air was dangerous to breathe.

New York City experienced its worst air quality on record; the air quality index went from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” and finally to the “hazardous” category.