Chicago is under an Air Quality Alert Monday, as a second round of Canadian wildfire smoke hits the region.
The alert comes just days after historically high air pollutant levels impacted the city late last week.
With conditions once again reaching unsafe levels, Chicagoans are left wondering how long the smoke will linger.
Here’s a breakdown of the data and when conditions could improve.
Chicago Air Quality Alert in effect through Monday night
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recorded an Air Quality Index of 140 out of 500 as of Monday morning, according to AirNow,
This falls within the range of “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups,” meaning vulnerable populations may experience adverse side effects during outdoor exposure.
The EPA advises sensitive groups including the elderly, children, and those with respiratory conditions to follow these safety measures:
- Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
- Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
- Be active outdoors when air quality is better.
Healthy adults may also want to limit time outdoors.
The current Air Quality Alert is in effect until the end of the day Monday. Conditions are expected to improve significantly over the coming days.
Tuesday will bring the chance for showers and air quality levels are expected to lower to a moderate level over the course of the day.
By Wednesday, predictions from IQAir indicate air quality will return to a healthy level.
