Move your cars: Baltimore City still ticketing while residents are advised to stay inside

BALTIMORE -- The Baltimore City Department of Transportation said Thursday it has not made any modifications to parking restrictions amid a Code Red Air Quality alert. 

It means residents will still need to move their cars if they're parked in a restricted area or risk landing a hefty ticket, despite advice from state and city authorities to limit time outdoors. 

Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada has blanketed parts of the U.S., bringing health risks to millions and apocalyptic scenes to major cities. 

The federal government's Air Quality Index rates the level of air pollution from 0 to 500, and a swath of the Northeast has seen record air pollution rates this week. 

New York City's quality of air has become so bad in the past few days that the United States' largest city now has some of the worst air pollution in the world. 

As of noon the Baltimore area has an AQI of 183 -- in the Code Red range -- meaning members of the general public might experience health effects and members of sensitive groups, like people with asthma, could experience more serious health effects.

Earlier Thursday the AQI was at 275, which is considered "very unhealthy."

Conditions are expected to improve Thursday afternoon but it will remain hazy and smoky with a mix of sun and clouds. 

The wind pattern bringing smoke into the region will shift and won't be as extensive across the region this weekend, WJZ's First Alert Weather team reports. There will still be smoke in the area, but it shouldn't be as bad as it has been.