Sign In or Create an Account.

By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy

Climate

What the Smoke Has in Store for the Midwest

Wildfire smoke is giving Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee the worst air quality in the world. Here’s what it’s expected to do next.

Chicago.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

New York Senator Chuck Schumer coined “summer of smoke” while it was still technically spring, but if the scene in Chicago on Tuesday was any indication, the name is on track to stick.

As the fires in Canada rage on — there are actually more burning now than there were in early June — smoke has continued to pour south into the United States, this time blanketing Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, and parts of Indiana and Illinois. Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee ranked as the three worst major cities in the world for air quality mid-afternoon on Tuesday, while Grand Rapids, Michigan, recorded Code Purple “very unhealthy” air.

Unfortunately, New Yorkers won’t want to put away their air purifiers just yet, either (and if you’re in the Ohio River Valley, you’ll want to beat the rush to the store by picking one up today). Here’s a look at how the smoke is tracking this week:

The Great Lakes region

This isn’t the first time the Great Lakes region has had to contend with smoke this year, although the considerably worse conditions in New York City monopolized coverage last time around. But with the worst air quality in the world on Tuesday — including a rare, severe 353 AQI on the Michigan border overnight — some 24 million people were under air quality alerts at the start of the week, Fox Weather reports.

Thankfully, they don’t call it the Windy City for nothing; a breeze off Lake Michigan is expected to push the smoke southwest beginning on Wednesday, USA Today reports. Still, the smoke will linger overnight and stick around longer in other parts of the region — an air quality alert will remain in place in southern Minnesota through early Thursday morning.

The Ohio River Valley

Smoke has to go somewhere, though, and it’ll blow straight out of the Midwest … and into the Ohio River Valley. Air quality alerts have been issued for Indiana and the Louisville metro area (where it is forecast to be “unhealthy for all groups”), lasting through Wednesday, the Louisville Courier Journal reports. Haze has settled over Cincinnati, too, with alerts issued for sensitive groups. According to the FireSmoke Canada model, poor air quality could linger through at least Thursday morning.

New York

New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a warning for her state saying smoke is expected to blow in on Wednesday, with New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirming it could come as far south as the five boroughs. “Bring a KN95 or N95 mask with you tomorrow,” he tweeted on Tuesday, “or make plans to avoid outdoor events just in case.”

For those in the Adirondacks, Hudson River Valley, Long Island, and New York City metro area, air quality isn’t expected to degrade beyond a “moderate” AQI of 51-100. Central New York, however, could experience air that is unhealthy for sensitive groups, while western New York will be in the “unhealthy” zone:

Everywhere else

The movement of smoke is famously tricky to predict, but there are a few different models you can use to keep an eye on your area. Here are the models for the next day from the FireSmoke Canada website, which tracks PM2.5 smoke particles at ground level from wildfires across North America. Check the FireSmoke Canada website or NOAA models for the most up-to-date forecasts and keep in mind that, like forecasting the weather, these are not guarantees. Err on the side of caution and protect yourself.

The model for the evening of June 27. Darker colors indicate higher PM2.5 levels, the particles associated with wildfire smoke. The numbered circles refer to the number of regional wildfires.FireSmoke Canada

The model for the morning of June 28.FireSmoke Canada

The model for the evening of June 28.FireSmoke Canada

Yellow

You’re out of free articles.

Subscribe today to experience Heatmap’s expert analysis 
of climate change, clean energy, and sustainability.
To continue reading
Create a free account or sign in to unlock more free articles.
or
Please enter an email address
By continuing, you agree to the Terms of Service and acknowledge our Privacy Policy
Climate

AM Briefing: Republicans Waver Over Cost, Energy Ahead of Budget Vote

On budget negotiations, Climeworks, and DOE grants

Republicans Waver Over Cost, Energy Ahead of Budget Vote
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images

Current conditions: It’s peak storm season in the U.S., with severe weather in the forecast for at least the next six days in the Midwest and EastSan Antonio, Texas, is expected to hit 108 degrees Fahrenheit todayMonsoon rains have begun in Sri Lanka.

THE TOP FIVE

1. Republicans waver on budget ahead of possible floor vote next week

The House Budget Committee meeting to prepare the reconciliation bill for a floor vote as early as next week appears to be a go for Friday, despite calls from some Republicans to delay the session. At least three GOP House members, including two members of the Freedom Caucus, have threatened to vote no on the budget because a final score for the Energy and Commerce portion of the bill, which includes cuts to Medicaid, won’t be ready from the Congressional Budget Office until next week. That is causing a “math problem” for Republicans, Politico writes, because the Budget Committee “is split 21-16 in favor of Republicans, and Democrats are expecting full attendance,” meaning Republicans can “only lose two votes if they want to move forward with the megabill Friday.” Republican Brandon Gill of Texas is currently out on paternity leave, further reducing the margin for disagreement.

Keep reading...Show less
Yellow
Q&A

How the GOP Tax Bill Would Supercharge Renewable Energy NIMBYs

A conversation with Jillian Blanchard of Lawyers for Good Government about the heightened cost of permitting delays

Jillian Blanchard.
Heatmap Illustration

This week I chatted with Jillian Blanchard, vice president of climate change and environmental justice with Lawyers for Good Government, an organization that has been supporting beneficiaries of the Inflation Reduction Act navigate the uncertainties surrounding tax credits and grant programs under the Trump administration. The reason I wanted to chat with Jillian is simple: the IRA is under threat for the first time under a Republican Congress. I wanted to understand how solar and wind projects could be impacted by the House Republican reconciliation bill and putting IRA tax credits in doubt. I learned a lot.

The following conversation was lightly edited for clarity.

Keep reading...Show less
Yellow
Economy

Is Wall Street Wrong About the IRA?

Investors are only just now starting to digest what the proposed cuts will mean, especially for energy storage.

A This Is Fine bull.
Heatmap Illustration/Getty Images (Apologies to KC Green)

Is Wall Street too sanguine about the House of Representatives’ proposal to gut the Inflation Reduction Act? When the House Ways and Means Committee unveiled its language on the law on Monday — phasing out tax credits, implementing strict restrictions on business relationships with Chinese companies, and altering when projects are eligible for credits — some investors responded to the cutbacks by driving up the prices of some clean energy stocks.

The residential solar company Sunrun traded up on Tuesday by 8.6%, and the American solar manufacturer First Solar was up over 22%. (Stock movements on Monday were largely in response to the pause of the U.S.-China trade war, also announced that morning.)

Keep reading...Show less