An air quality alert has been extended across the entire Chicago area as wildfire smoke continues to linger over the region.
According to the National Weather Service, the air quality alert, which had been slated to expire late Sunday night, will instead be extended through Monday night, with wildfire smoke keeping air quality levels at elevated levels.
As of 1:30 p.m. Sunday, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in the city of Chicago was hovering around 125, meaning it was unhealthy for sensitive groups according to AirNow. That index was higher in some western suburbs, where it had risen to “unhealthy” levels for the general public.
Wildfires continue to burn in Canada and far northern Minnesota, causing degraded air quality in several major Midwestern cities, including Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Detroit and Chicago.
According to forecast models, that smoke could continue to hang around the Chicago area through late in the day Monday, with a storm system sweeping in and pushing the smoke out, albeit with the threat of severe thunderstorms mixed in.
According to the latest guidance from federal officials, the smoke is expected to be less intense on Tuesday after the storm system moves through, with temperatures in the area cooling around midweek.
Stay tuned to the NBC 5 Storm Team for all the latest weather news and information, and be sure to download the NBC Chicago app for real-time weather alerts sent to your phone.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/Wr0dxOm
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