Unhealthy air quality returns to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes this week as dry conditions and high temperatures fueled Canada’s forest fires over the weekend, sending more smoke into the northern United States
The FOX Forecast Center tracks the smoke from the wildfires, which is thick enough to lower air quality in the Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Illinois.
On Monday, smoky skies may even be an issue for parts of the northeast near the US-Canada border, but shifting winds will improve conditions over the following two days.
As a result of the smoke from the wildfires, air quality alerts are in place for greater than 11 million people in the US
Smoke from the wildfires is returning to the northern United States
Smoke from wildfires near Montreal and Ottawa in eastern Canada is causing unhealthy air in parts of the northern US
Residents in parts of the Adirondacks in Latest York and northern Vermont woke up Monday to the worst air quality.
![Smoke tracking from the fire on Monday, June 26, 2023.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/Northeast-Smoke-Tracker.png?w=1024)
The air in areas resembling Lisbon, Latest York, and Grand Isle, Vermont, is “very unhealthy,” in response to the US Fire and Smoke Map, the second worst rating on the Air Quality Index (AQI).
In keeping with the National Weather Service in Burlington, Vermont, smoke limited visibility to 2 miles or less in Vermont and northern Latest York on Monday.
![Current US air quality](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/East-Current-AQI-1.png?w=1024)
Conditions are expected to enhance as southerly winds push the smoke back into Canada, with smoke concentrations dropping later in the day.
Smoke shouldn’t be expected to persist or cause problems resembling red skies and the worst air quality ever seen in Latest York and the Northeast earlier this month.
Poor air quality returns to Upper Midwest, Great Lakes
![Smoke from wildfires is forecast for the Great Lakes on Monday, June 26, 2023.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/Great-Lakes-Smoke-Tracker1-copy.jpg?w=1024)
Meanwhile, smoke from fires in the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario is being drawn into the Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and as far south as Iowa and Nebraska.
The Great Lakes has air quality alerts in place for communities along the Lakes Superior and Lake Michigan.
The AQI in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was 157 with “unhealthy” air.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued a statewide air quality advisory that’s in effect until Thursday noon. The heaviest smoke will hit eastern Wisconsin with the potential for a “very unhealthy” AQI.
![Great Lakes Fire Smoke Forecast for Tuesday, June 27, 2023](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/06/Great-Lakes-Smoke-Tracker2-copy.jpg?w=1024)
In Michigan, areas along Lake Superior had the worst air quality on Monday.
The Michigan Department of the Environment, Great Lakes and Energy has issued an air quality warning until 11 p.m. Tuesday. The AQI is projected to range from “unhealthy for vulnerable groups” to “unhealthy”.
What’s the state of the Canadian wildfires?
There are greater than 460 lively fires burning across Canada this week, and about half of them are believed to be uncontrolled. The worst fire conditions persist in Ontario and Quebec in eastern Canada, driving smoke into the USA and as far-off as Europe.
Up to now this yr, greater than 2,800 fires have broken out in Canada, burning greater than 7.4 million hectares (18.2 million acres), in response to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center.
Lightning it probably began most of the a whole bunch of burning fires.
The smoke swept the USA so far as the Gulf of Mexico and recently caused smoky skies over the Atlantic Ocean in northern Spain.