For the fifth day in a row, Chicago’s sky looks hazy. Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to affect air quality across the Midwest, though Monday’s conditions were an improvement for most of the Chicago area.
Monday morning, most of the city had moved into “moderate” on the U.S. Air Quality Index, meaning the air is safe for most but potentially a risk to those particularly sensitive to air quality. The northern part of Cook County, however — especially around O’Hare International Airport — were still listed as “unhealthy for sensitive groups.”
As wind picks up later Monday afternoon, the layer of smoke hazing Chicago’s skyline is expected to disperse. There will still be some smoke tomorrow, however, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Mark Ratzer.
Chicago will see a high of 82 Monday, or a few degrees cooler by the Lakefront. Ratzer expected wind speeds up to 10 mph, with partly to mostly cloudy skies throughout the day.
Temperatures are expected to rise throughout the rest of the week. Tuesday will bring mostly sunny skies and slightly warmer temperatures, with a high in the mid-80s. There is a 20% chance of thunderstorms Tuesday afternoon.
Wednesday, temperatures will climb into the upper 80s; Thursday through Saturday, into the lower 90s, and Sunday back down to the 80s. Sunday also has a chance of afternoon showers or thunderstorms. Humidity will increase slightly throughout the week but Ratzer emphasized it will not be like the extreme heat conditions Chicagoans dealt with in the last few weeks.
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