The FAA is slowing flight traffic in and out of Newark and LaGuardia airports on Wednesday afternoon.
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There is currently a ground stop in place at LGA, meaning some flights are being held at their origin airport to ease congestion, but not all.
The FAA said the average delay at Newark is about 84 minutes due to low visibility.
The FAA is also slowing traffic from the East Coast and Midwest bound for Philadelphia International Airport due to the smoky conditions, officials said.
Reporter Josh Einiger recorded the "surreal scene" as his plane landed at LaGuardia:
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Health officials are urging area residents to limit outdoor activities on Wednesday as air quality is expected to remain at "unhealthy" to "very unhealthy" levels with no improvements until Thursday at the earliest.
The smoke is making for potentially dangerous conditions, especially for people with respiratory issues. Exposure to elevated fine particle pollution levels can affect the lungs and heart.
Two Major League Baseball games have also been postponed due to the smoky conditions on the east coast.
The Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park and Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium have been postponed.
The Phillies-Tigers game will be made up at 6:05 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, when both Clubs had been scheduled to be off. The Yankees and the White Sox will now play a traditional doubleheader beginning at 4:05 p.m. (ET) on Thursday.