The good news: Widespread storms Saturday will thin out that Canadian wildfire smoke choking the tri-state.
The bad news: Severe weather is likely. Parts of New Jersey and even New York City face a tornado risk.
Storms could start firing up in the early afternoon. Overall, in terms of severe weather risk, the National Weather Service puts the tri-state at a level 2 on a scale of 5, meaning some severe weather is likely Saturday.
Damaging straight-line winds are the biggest threat, though there will be enough spin in the atmosphere for storms to rotate, especially west of the city.
Flash flooding is possible. Storms will be moving relatively quickly, which should reduce the risk of widespread or prolonged flooding. But the high moisture content of the atmosphere will support intense rainfall rates…