It's a Code Orange air quality day across North Carolina. Here's what you can do to stay safe

Smoke pouring south from Canadian wildfires is still smudging the skies with a dull haze Thursday across the Charlotte region. People who are vulnerable to poor air quality — children, people with asthma and other breathing conditions, and the elderly — need to stay aware and take precautions, experts say.

Charlotte hasn't been subject to the conditions witnessed in New York City, where smoke blocked out the sun, blocked buildings and turned the sky orange. But the smoke is still causing poor air quality throughout the region.

Air quality is forecast to stay in the "orange" range through Friday, according to the state's Air Quality Portal, which is a collaboration between the State Climate Office of North Carolina at NC State University and the North Carolina Division of Air Quality.

"Smoky conditions will persist across North Carolina on Thursday, as the upper-level closed low continues to funnel Canadian wildfire smoke down across the eastern US," the group wrote.

Here's what experts say you should do: