Code Orange Air Alert Hits Large Parts of NJ as July 4 Heat Builds
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What happened
New Jersey is heading into July 4 with more than dangerous heat to worry about. Large parts of the state are also under a code orange air-quality alert.
The National Weather Service, relaying a New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection forecast issued Friday afternoon, July 3, 2026, said ozone levels are expected to reach a range that can become unhealthy for sensitive groups. That includes children, older adults, and people with asthma, heart disease, or other lung conditions.
The alert covers a wide stretch of the state, including Sussex and Warren counties, Morris, Hunterdon, and Somerset, Middlesex and Mercer, Monmouth, Atlantic and Cape May, Ocean and southeastern Burlington, Gloucester, Camden and northwestern Burlington, plus Salem and Cumberland counties.
The contrast here is that one of the biggest outdoor holidays of the year is colliding with conditions that make outdoor time riskier for a lot of people. Fireworks, parades, beach trips, barbecues, and travel plans all become more complicated when heat and air quality start stacking on top of each other.
State and federal guidance says sensitive groups should limit prolonged or strenuous outdoor activity, especially during the hottest part of the day. The broader risk is that poor air quality can add breathing strain just as dangerous temperatures are already putting extra pressure on the body.
What comes next depends on updated forecasts through the holiday weekend. Residents should keep checking National Weather Service and NJDEP updates and be ready to adjust outdoor plans if symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, or unusual fatigue show up.
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