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.
The Seattle Storm snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 97-88 win over the Chicago Sky on Monday night.
Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss 4 to 6 months after undergoing surgery on his injured knee, head coach Ben Johnson announced Tuesday.
One person was killed in a house explosion in Portage, Indiana, during a severe weather outbreak Tuesday morning.
The Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in the southwest Chicago suburb of Tinley Park was damaged when severe storms blasted through the area on Tuesday.
A meteotsunami is impacting Chicago's lakefront and the shore in Northwest Indiana Tuesday afternoon and evening after destructive storms in the area.
The executive order tightens air and noise pollution rules for data centers and creates a task force to develop a long-term strategy.
South Carolina Republicans will be choosing a successor for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham's seat, and Minnesota's Senate primary is another battle between moderate and progressive Democrats.
President Trump signed an executive order on childhood vaccine schedules Monday.
Liam Stanton, one of the 10 candidates for mayor of Chicago, announced Monday morning that he was withdrawing from the race and endorsing Alexi Giannoulias.
A group of activists and elected officials filed reports with the Chicago Police Department on Monday, alleging crimes committed by federal agents during Operation Midway Blitz last fall.
The Trump administration is taking aim at power grid operator PJM Interconnection over rising electricity bills that affect Illinois and Indiana residents.
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.
In a wide-ranging interview with the CBS News partner BBC News, Hunter Biden grew emotional as he discussed his father's condition, describing it as very sad to watch.
With the cyclosporiasis linked to iceberg lettuce growing and consumers wary of the products on grocery shelves, many in Chicago are turning to local farmers market for fresh and safe greens.
East Chicago, Indiana is being placed on a precautionary boil water advisory starting Monday morning for planned installations that could affect water safety.
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.
The Original Rainbow Cone celebrated its 100th anniversary on Sunday with a special event at its Beverly location.
The Shops at North Bridge on the Magnificent Mile announced plans Thursday for a multimillion-dollar renovation project.
While the building that housed the flagship Ann Sather restaurant on Belmont Avenue has been torn down, the renowned Chicago restaurant chain is now set to open a new Lakeview location.
Nationally, data centers used 17.4 billion gallons of water in 2023 — a figure projected to reach 72.6 billion gallons by 2028, raising concerns about states' water supplies.
Chicago's Wishbone Restaurant will soon be closing after 36 years in business.
Crews need about a week and a half to tear down the festival site before the city can begin its own inspection — and past cleanup costs have topped $1 million.
Vincent Pastore played Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bonpensiero on all six seasons of "The Sopranos," which aired from 1999 to 2007.
If weather forces an evacuation, shelter sites are located at Grant Park North, Grant Park South, and Millennium Lakeside Garages, accessible through the vehicle entrance on Michigan Avenue.
Grant Park was filled with tens of thousands of people Thursday for the start of Lollapalooza, as warm weather greeted festivalgoers on day one of the four-day music festival.
Academy Award-winning Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard has died in a motorcycle crash.
CBS Skywatch was over the smoking rubble of a house in Portage, Indiana, where one person died in an explosion during severe weather Tuesday morning.
In Homewood, gigantic piles of mulch, tree limbs, and branches were already lying around from storms that hit earlier in the summer. More debris had to be removed and put into piles on Tuesday. Lauren Victory reports from the Mobile Weather Lab.
A massive line of destructive thunderstorms barreled through the Chicago area Tuesday morning, cutting a swath of damage as they did.
This is real-time coverage of the dangerous storms on Tuesday, Aug. 11, with meteorologists Albert Ramon and David Yeomans.
Severe storms are hitting Aurora, Illinois, with heavy rain causing flooding and damaging winds.
A tornado blasted through Chicago's south suburbs during the midday hours Tuesday.
A line of destructive thunderstorms with winds over 90mph barreled through the Chicago area Tuesday. Two tornadoes have been reported.
One person was killed in a house explosion in Portage, Indiana, during a severe weather outbreak Tuesday morning.
Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss 4 to 6 months after undergoing surgery on his injured knee, head coach Ben Johnson announced Tuesday.
The Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in the southwest Chicago suburb of Tinley Park was damaged when severe storms blasted through the area on Tuesday.
Many unanswered questions remain after 56 decomposing bodies were found inside a Chicago funeral home last week.
A lawsuit on behalf of a man who was shot and killed by police in Humboldt Park in March claims a CPD officer fired deadly shots just after arriving at a controlled scene instead of de-escalating.
Neighbors of a South Side animal feed plant have complained about the noxious smell and air quality for years. Now the city of Chicago and state of Illinois are suing Pullman Innovations to clean up the air, as well as for alleged illegal work and permit violations.
The owners of a Far South Side funeral home where dozens of decomposing bodies were found earlier this week have run into trouble with state regulators before over their handling of bodies at a crematory in the south suburbs.
University of Illinois researchers have found a correlation between more green spaces and less violence in neighborhoods. A group in Chicago is planting trees with the mission to bring beauty and safety to the whole city.
The Seattle Storm snapped an 11-game losing streak with a 97-88 win over the Chicago Sky on Monday night.
Chicago Bears safety Coby Bryant is expected to miss 4 to 6 months after undergoing surgery on his injured knee, head coach Ben Johnson announced Tuesday.
Tim Anderson, a two-time All-Star shortstop who won the 2019 AL batting title with the Chicago White Sox, has decided to retire after spending 10 years in the major leagues.
The Chicago White Sox are preparing for another sold-out crowd on Tuesday night at Rate Field as they celebrate the team's most famous fan, Pope Leo XIV.
Colson Montgomery's 26th homer, a three-run shot, capped Chicago's four-run third inning and the White Sox held on to beat the Cleveland Guardians 5-3 on Sunday.
Police early Tuesday were investigating a crash-and-grab burglary at a minimart in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood.
Two men were critically wounded Monday night in a shootout on Chicago's Near North Side.
A man and a woman were killed in a shooting at a Chicago Public Schools elementary school on Monday afternoon near Midway International Airport.
Chicago police issued a business alert this past weekend, warning store employees to be vigilant as detectives investigate a pair of robberies.
At least five people were killed, and 14 more were wounded, in shootings in Chicago this weekend as of early Sunday afternoon. The victims ranged in age from 17 to 50.
