Pollution levels remain 'unhealthy' in Illinois as some smoke returns

Finnegan Belleau, Chicago Tribune on Jul 19, 2026

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Smoke from Canadian wildfires returned to Illinois on Saturday night as air quality remained at “unhealthy” levels, according to AirNow, a website that combines data from county, state and federal air quality agencies nationwide.

Gino Izzi, senior meteorologist at the National Weather Service, said smoke traveled out of Illinois into Michigan and Wisconsin on Friday. However, a cold front pushed the smoke back to Illinois on Saturday night.

Izzi said he expected the smoke to “kind of fester” in Illinois most of Sunday before likely blowing back across Lake Michigan moving into tomorrow.

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency issued an air pollution alert Sunday for all of Illinois’ sectors where air quality is assessed, except for St. Louis Metro East. According to a news release, the smoke was anticipated as “at or above unhealthy for sensitive groups.”

As climate change intensifies, concerns grow about air quality events that disrupt daily life becoming the norm. Scientists say climate change from human activities is making conditions like drought more common, thus increasing the size, frequency and severity of wildfires. Wind patterns also add a layer of unpredictability to the reach of bad air from intensifying, longer-lasting wildfires.

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