Chicago Wildfire Smoke Pushes AQI to Record Highs as Haze Clears by Friday Evening

3 articles · Updated · FOX 32 Chicago · Jul 16

Chicago-area air quality reached record hazardous levels Thursday, with some AQI readings far exceeding June 2023 and nearing extreme levels seen globally.
Forecasters expect the wildfire smoke to linger overnight and through most of Friday morning before cleaner air moves west to east Friday afternoon, with most of the haze gone by evening.
Friday may also bring spotty rain and thunderstorms, with brief heavy downpours and isolated wind gusts of 40 to 45 mph, though severe weather is not expected.
Saturday stays hot and humid near 90 before a cold front triggers thunderstorms that could turn strong to severe, mainly with damaging winds.
Some smoke could return behind that front, but it is expected to stay higher aloft, while cooler mid-80s weather arrives Sunday and temperatures ease into the 80s next week.

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