Madison, Wis. – Thick wildfire smoke continues to blanket eastern Wisconsin, where some communities are experiencing Very Unhealthy to Hazardous air quality even as a statewide advisory expired at noon. Residents along the Lake Superior shoreline and much of eastern Wisconsin are being urged to remain cautious as dense smoke lingers and another round could arrive later tonight.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, air quality monitors around 10:30 a.m. showed Very Unhealthy (Purple) to Hazardous (Maroon) levels of fine particulate pollution (PM2.5) across the eastern half of the state. While smoke concentrations have begun to improve across western Wisconsin, cleaner air is expected to take longer to reach eastern counties.
Because of the continued poor conditions, communities across eastern Wisconsin remained under an air quality advisory through 6 p.m., despite the broader statewide advisory ending at noon. Areas along the Lake Superior shoreline are among those expected to see the slowest improvement.
Forecasters also expect another plume of wildfire smoke to move into northwest Wisconsin behind a cold front arriving around 8 p.m. Although confidence is increasing that this next surge will not be as severe as the current episode, smoke levels may rise again as the front sweeps across the state overnight.
Residents, especially children, older adults and anyone with heart or lung conditions, should limit outdoor activity, keep windows closed and use indoor air filtration if available. Officials say additional air quality advisories may be needed through the weekend as smoke conditions continue to evolve.
