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.
Watch CBS News
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.
DuPage County officials are warning pet owners to keep their dogs out of the water in East Branch Forest Preserve after an algae bloom was confirmed in the off-leash dog area.
A 14-year-old boy was killed in an e-bike crash with an SUV in north suburban Wauconda, police said.
The Illinois Department of Public Health has reported more than 400 confirmed and probable cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite-borne illness that can cause diarrhea and nausea.
Chicago police this week warned of a pattern of robberies in which the thieves approach the victims in public and rip away their gold necklaces.
One lucky person could get their face on a billboard with legendary actor William Shatner – and it could be you.
The state Democratic Party is asking Wisconsin's elections commission to allow voters who already returned absentee ballots to cast new ones, after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez dropped out of the governor's race and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley rejoined it.
Speaking live on CBS News Chicago's morning news on Wednesday, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted an improving economy and falling crime in the city and credited his administration with the success.
Republican candidate for Illinois governor Darren Bailey is calling for greater transparency over nongovernmental organizations that receive at least $10,000 in state grants by making them subject to public records and open meetings requests.
Two independent Latino candidates seeking to run for retiring U.S. Rep. Jesus "Chuy" Garcia's seat in Congress won't appear on the ballot in November.
New search data shows "fascism" drew roughly 264,700 monthly searches nationally in 2026, but in Illinois the most-searched word definition was "bias."
Chicago remained the most bed bug-treated city in the country, according to Orkin's latest annual rankings covering a full year of residential and commercial treatment data.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul this week warned residents cleaning up from last month's storms to be on the lookout for scams.
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker on Thursday signed several new consumer protections into law, including a ban on junk fees.
CBS News Chicago has learned that Illinois home insurance premiums are not only higher than the nation's average, but going up faster too.
As an alternative to legalizing video gambling terminals citywide, Bally's offered to open slot machine lounges at O'Hare and Midway, saying the move would replace the $6.8 million the city budgeted from VGTs.
A new Northwestern Medicine study on long COVID shows women show more neurological symptoms than men.
A lettuce supplier to fast-food giant Taco Bell has been linked to a nationwide cyclosporiasis outbreak that has sickened thousands of people, the CDC said.
Chicago just barely made the top 20 in the American College of Sports Medicine's 2026 ranking of the country's fittest cities.
In a major turnaround in the opioid crisis, overdose deaths are falling across Chicago and Cook County.
The north Chicago suburb of Glenview became the latest Illinois municipality this week to confirm mosquitoes testing positive for the West Nile virus this year.
The food deserts on Chicago's South and West sides could spread even wider if seven Save A Lot grocery stores close.
Illinois American Water and Aqua Illinois are both seeking rate increases that would raise monthly bills by as much as $28, while their parent companies seek regulatory approval to merge — a deal a consumer watchdog says would give one company control of nearly all regulated water customers in the state.
The Federal Trade Commission and attorneys general from several states secured a right-to-repair settlement Wednesday with agriculture equipment giant Deere & Co. — commonly known as John Deere — that requires the company to let farmers and independent shops fix their own equipment.
Chicago Soul Café opened Monday at 6248 S. St. Lawrence Ave.
The Chicago Bears this weekend said they are assessing land at Wolf Lake Terminals in Hammond, Indiana, for a possible new stadium.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
Christopher Nolan's "The Odyssey" is the first film shot entirely on 70mm IMAX cameras, and Cinemark Seven Bridges in Woodridge is 1 of roughly 30 theaters nationwide equipped to show it that way.
Brenda Fricker won an Academy Award for 1989's "My Left Foot," played the Pigeon Lady in "Home Alone 2" and appeared in "A Time to Kill" and "So I Married an Axe Murderer."
The actor's agent said he was providing more information following news reports "which contain inaccuracies and outright falsehoods."
New Zealand actor Sam Neill, known for "Jurassic Park" and "The Piano," died Monday at 78, his family says.
Chicago police this week warned of a pattern of robberies in which the thieves approach the victims in public and rip away their gold necklaces.
A French model recruiter who worked with Jeffrey Epstein was found dead on Monday.
Meteorologist David Yeomans has the extended forecast.
An independent autopsy commissioned by the family of Nolan Wells found his manner and cause of death to be undetermined, attorney Ben Crump announced in Chicago Wednesday.
One lucky person could get their face on a billboard with legendary actor William Shatner – and it could be you.
IDPH reported more than 400 confirmed and probable cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasite-borne illness that can cause diarrhea and nausea.
The Cook County State's Attorney will not be filing charges in a fatal shooting outside a bar in Lincoln Park that resulted in the bar being shut down Tuesday.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson touted an improving economy and falling crime in the city and credited his administration with the success.
DuPage County officials are warning pet owners to keep their dogs out of the water in East Branch Forest Preserve after an algae bloom was confirmed in the off-leash dog area.
A man was charged with attempted murder after a woman and a Chicago police SWAT officer were shot in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood on Monday.
Record heat and major air quality issues created by wildfire smoke were key topics as some of the top climate leaders from around the world gathered in Chicago this week for the Aspen Institute's annual climate summit.
Police say a man and a woman were last seen speaking with the victim before the shooting.
Neighbors in the Avalon Park neighborhood said their community has been plagued by squatters, weeds, rats, and water leaks – all thanks to an abandoned home that's been sitting vacant for years.
Chicago has been feeling the heat this week, with highs in the 90s the past five days, but officials are making moves to cool off some of the hottest parts of the city, specifically Chicago Park District fieldhouses where many turn to keep cool.
Gene Rush survived throat cancer, but he didn't survive a trip to the Porter County Jail over 4th of July weekend. His family said jail staff failed to provide lifesaving medical care.
The Chicago White Sox on Wednesday were set to honor Black baseball pioneers with the Double Duty Classic at Rate Field.
Iowa announced a fall exhibition game against Kansas at the Field of Dreams ballpark, where major and minor league games have been played since 2021.
A night after losing the series opener 10-3, the Rangers (51-50) finished with a season-high 18 hits and avoided falling below .500 for the first time since June 27.
Chicago collected 11 hits while improving to 23-10 in its last 33 games, bouncing back nicely after losing 8-6 in 10 innings in the series opener on Monday night.
Head coach David Braun is excited about what an intimate environment can do for his team.
Chicago police this week warned of a pattern of robberies in which the thieves approach the victims in public and rip away their gold necklaces.
The Cook County State's Attorney will not be filing charges in a fatal shooting outside a bar in Lincoln Park that resulted in the bar being shut down Tuesday.
A bar on Lincoln Avenue in Chicago's Lincoln Park community was shut down by Chicago police Tuesday morning, days after a fight broke out at a party in the bar and led to a fatal shooting.
A man was shot and wounded early Tuesday in the Wentworth Gardens public housing development just south of Rate Field.
Charges were pending Tuesday morning for a man accused of shooting a woman and a Chicago police SWAT officer in Chicago's Albany Park community the day before.
