Chicago weather: Air quality alert called for a 2nd straight day as Canadian wildfires continue
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency declared an Air Pollution Action Day because widespread ozone and or particulate levels are expected to be at or above the unhealthy for sensitive groups category.
Officials said wildfire smoke is expected to continue to affect those levels Thursday and Friday, officials said. The same air alerts were also issued on Wednesday.
Current morning conditions at O'Hare International Airport are mostly cloudy with haze at 60 degrees. At Midway Airport, conditions are foggy and misty at 61 degrees.
On Thursday, highs in the upper 50s are expected.
Plumes of smoke are blanketing large swaths of the U.S. and parts of Europe, which presents risks for those breathing it.
The Midwest, Northeast and Great Lakes regions of the U.S. have 'very unhealthy' air quality, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and experts say people should take precautions. .
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New York Post
44 minutes ago
- New York Post
Air quality concerns rise as Canadian wildfire smoke smothers sky from Midwest to Northeast
Air quality remains a concern from the Midwest to the Northeast and New England as wildfire smoke from Canada smothers the sky across the eastern half of the U.S. 'We've seen days and days of hazy skies across Milwaukee, and that just happened to overlap for the first week of the state fair,' FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said. Advertisement 'It's a tradition for us to go every year on the first day, but it wasn't happening,' one fairgoer said about the hazy sky. The thick plumes of smoke in Canada are being driven southward into the U.S. by northerly winds on the backside of an area of high pressure. The FOX Forecast Center said the wildfire smoke has settled closer to the surface, resulting in widespread reductions in air quality. 'You should limit your outdoor activities, and professionals say maybe wear an N95 mask to protect yourself from some of the wildfire smoke in the sky,' Herrera continued. Advertisement The highest concentrations of Canadian wildfire smoke have been located in Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, and Michigan, with air quality index values ranging from Unhealthy to Very Unhealthy across the region on Monday. That smoke then moved into areas of the Northeast and New England, with cities along the heavily traveled Interstate 95 corridor like New York City, Philadelphia, and Boston put on alert for unhealthy air quality levels. 3 The thick plumes of smoke in Canada are being driven southward into the U.S. by northerly winds on the backside of an area of high pressure. AP 3 A wave runner navigates the Detroit River as a haze of Canadian wildfire smoke blankets the Ambassador Bridge and creates poor air quality in Detroit, on Aug. 4, 2025. AP Advertisement 3 Haze from the Canadian wildfires smoke can be seen over the skyline from Long Island City, Queens, on Aug. 5, 2025. Billy Becerra / NY Post In fact, about 81 million people from the Upper Midwest to northern New England are under an air quality alert. The entire states of Wisconsin, Michigan, Vermont, and New Hampshire, as well as most of New York and Connecticut, and eastern Pennsylvania are under an Air Quality Alert.
The Hill
44 minutes ago
- The Hill
Air quality alerts in place for 10 states due to Canadian wildfires
The National Weather Service announced air quality alerts in 10 states on Tuesday, as smoke from the Canadian wildfires continues to spread across the U.S. border. The alerts come as the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre lists 746 active fires on Tuesday morning, including 199 that were considered out of control. On Monday morning, 743 active fires were listed, including 298 that were out of control. All of Wisconsin remains under air quality alert, with some parts placed under 'red' alert, meaning some members of the general public may experience adverse health effects; and other parts of the state are placed under 'orange' alert, meaning air quality may be 'unhealthy' for sensitive groups. The smoke is expected to recirculate and effect northeast Wisconsin the most. The alert will remain in place until noon on Tuesday. Connecticut's Fairfield, New Haven and Middlesex counties are under 'orange' alert for Tuesday. Several cities in Indiana were placed under 'orange' alert for all of Tuesday until midnight, including Gary, Hammond, Merrillville, Portage, Valparaiso, Chesterton, Roselawn, Kentland, Morocco, Rensselaer and DeMotte. Massachusetts was placed under 'orange' alert from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Tuesday. The alert affects parts of the Berkshires, including the cities of Dalton, Hancock, Pittsfield, Florida, North Adams, Sandisfield, Great Barrington and South Egremont. Minnesota's northeast region is under an 'orange' alert until noon local time on Wednesday. Periods of low air quality is possible for the southeast and north-central parts of the state as well. Michigan counties placed under 'orange' alert for Tuesday include Chippewa, Mackinac, Emmet, Cheboygan, Presque Isle, Leelanau, Antrim, Otsego, Montmorency, Alpena, Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Crawford, Oscoda, Alcona, Manistee, Wexford, Missaukee, Roscommon, Ogemaw, Iosco, Gladwin and Arenac. New York is under 'orange' alert for all of Tuesday until midnight in several counties: New York, Bronx, Kings, Queens, Richmond, Westchester, Rockland, Orange, Putnam. New Jersey's Bergen, Passaic, Hudson, Essex and Union counties are under 'orange' alert for all of Tuesday until midnight. Eastern Pennsylvania was placed under an 'orange' alert for all of Tuesday until midnight.
Newsweek
2 hours ago
- Newsweek
Millions of Children Across 13 States Told To Limit Outdoor Activity
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Air quality alerts spanned at least 13 U.S. states on Tuesday, with sensitive groups urged to limit outdoor activity to avoid health risks. Why It Matters According to the Environmental Protection Agency, studies have linked particle pollution exposure to various health effects, including respiratory symptoms—such as coughing and wheezing, the development of asthma and increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Authorities advise that during periods of poor air quality, sensitive groups—including children, older adults and those with certain preexisting conditions—should limit prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. What To Know In collaboration with local agencies, the National Weather Service (NWS) published air quality alerts for the following states as of Tuesday morning: California Colorado Texas Minnesota Wisconsin Michigan Indiana Ohio Pennsylvania New York Connecticut Vermont New Hampshire Alerts spanned the entirety of Michigan and Wisconsin because of smoke from Canadian wildfires. "The main culprit remains Canadian wildfire smoke, originating from the Manitoba and Ontario Provinces. The second culprit is a stubborn high-pressure cell planted over the Midwest which is holding the smoke in place and compressing it close to the ground," said a notice from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, which the NWS published. "The weak clockwise winds will recirculate the worst of the smoke westward then northward, back into the western U.P., but the entire state will remain under hazy conditions during Tuesday," it continued. Northeast Minnesota and eastern Pennsylvania were also affected by wildfire smoke, according to alerts for the regions. Particle pollution—a product of wildfires—was also the cause of air quality alerts in Indiana, Vermont, New Hampshire and Colorado. Wildfire smoke from Canada will be on the increase over the next 24 hours. This is a model depiction of smoke in the atmosphere. Orange colors indicate thicker smoke, representing more hazy skies. #mewx #nhwx — NWS Gray (@NWSGray) August 2, 2025 In California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued a wildfire smoke advisory as multiple blazes burn in both central and Southern California. This included the 72,460-acre Gifford fire affecting parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties, as well as the Rosa fire near the Santa Rosa Mountains and the Gold fire in the San Bernadino National Forest, north of Big Bear Lake. Here's a projection for the smoke from the #GiffordFire 🔥in San Luis Obispo/Santa Barbara Counties through tomorrow night. Smoke will generally move towards the south and east. — NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) August 4, 2025 Meanwhile, air quality alerts were in place in Texas and Ohio because of ozone pollution. In Ohio, this affected Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain, Medina, Portage and Summit Counties. In Texas, alerts applied to both the Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston-Galveston areas. What People Are Saying AccuWeather meteorologist Dan Pydynowski told Newsweek on Friday: "Smoke and haze creating poor air quality at times will likely continue to be an issue in [the Great Lakes, Upper Midwest and central U.S.] through the weekend and into early next week. "The smoke/haze will gradually spread south and east later this weekend into early next week as well, perhaps getting into parts of the Northeast U.S. and the central-southern Plains too." The National Weather Service account for Burlington, Vermont, wrote on X on Thursday: "Air Quality Alerts continue for New York and Vermont. Some cleaner air is mixing in from the north compared to recent days, but some smoke will remain with higher concentrations expected in southern portions of the region." What Happens Next The NWS regularly issued forecast updates on its website.
