Chicago Air Quality Alert extended as wildfire smoke arrives
An Air Quality Alert for the Chicago area is only being made worse by the arrival of drifting smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.
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An Air Quality Alert for the Chicago area is only being made worse by the arrival of drifting smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota.
An Air Quality Alert of Chicago was already in place but wildfire smoke from Canada and Michigan will make it even harder to breathe, especially on Thursday.
Experts say the wildfire smoke contains tiny fine particles that have been linked to asthma and heart attacks, strokes, and other serious health problems.
If you woke up in the Chicago area Wednesday to find your car covered in dust after the rain last night, there's a reason for that.
Hundreds of thousands of music fans packed Grant Park Thursday for the first day of Lollapalooza 2025 as Chicago air quality plummeted to unhealthy levels. Sabrina Franza reports.
The hazy skies in the Chicago area are the visible sign of the poor air quality on Thursday as smoke from Canadian wildfires sent Chicago to the top of the list of most polluted cities in the world.
An Air Quality Alert has been extended through Wednesday night for the Chicago area from wildfire smoke coming in from Canada.
Rain chances return starting Tuesday afternoon, but only a 20 percent chance is expected.
Wildfires are still raging in Canada, where there have been dozens of active fires, and over 33,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes.
As wildfires continue to rage in western Canada, the Environmental Protection Agency issued its first alert of the year for the Chicago area.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency does not expect this weekend's smoke infiltration to be as dangerous as June 2023, and there are no plans for an Air Pollution Action Day as was issued then.
As anyone who was around two years ago will remember, this is not the first time a hazy, unhealthy back of air engulfed and choked Chicago.
Leaders in the Canadian Province of Manitoba have issued a state of emergency as wildfires continue to rage there, forcing thousands of people to evacuate. As Lauren Victory reports, the smoke from those wildfires is headed Chicago's way.
Air quality is expected at times to dip into the "Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups" category Tuesday.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said air quality is expected to be moderate, but readings may show higher categories at certain times.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency said air quality is expected to be moderate, but readings may show higher categories at certain times.
It's the middle of the winter, but there are still 149 wildfires burning across Canada, including 2 deemed out of control.
Smoke from wildfires is not the only reason for poor air quality this year. It turns out, those wildfires created another kind of pollution: Ozone.
Over 27 million acres of land have burned across Canada since the start of the 2023, marking the country's worst wildfire season on record.
As more people across the country are seeing the impact of wildfires and smoke, scientists are turning to the promise of big data, technology and collaboration to keep big fires from spreading.
The return of the smoke will make for hazy conditions that may linger into Monday as well.
Schools, camps, and businesses all took precautions.
Schools, camps, and businesses all took precautions. Meanwhile, at least one Chicago hospital says they expect to see more cases of respiratory-related issues if the smoke sticks around. CBS 2's Charlie De Mar reports.
It's not just an eyesore. The smoke is made up of tiny particles.
People were still venturing out – regardless of the unhealthy conditions.
