Afternoon update: Air quality alert in effect for hazardous air quality due to wildfire smoke
1:30pm Update
The current trends for exceptionally bad air quality continue. Our area will likely see off the chart numbers for the rest of today.
As Friday unfolds poor air quality should start to subside. Take a look at this model which shows good improvement by the time we get into the mid afternoon hours.
11:30am update: The AQI numbers continue to go up at times in spots. Here's a look at where they are now:
Hundreds of wildfires are currently burning in Ontario and dozens of fires are spreading in Minnesota's boundary waters. The collective smoke from all of these fires has moved from north to south across Wisconsin on Thursday. By Wednesday evening you could smell smoke everywhere and the air quality has continued to get worse. Visibility has been reduced because of all of the smoke. At times, visibility is below a mile.
Here is current visibility that will update with time:
An Air Quality Alert remains in effect Thursday and has now been extended until 12 PM on Friday. Almost the entire state of Wisconsin is currently seeing historically high Air Quality Index numbers and is in the hazardous category. Most of the state should see the smoke clear from west to east during the day Friday but the air quality alert may be extended into Friday afternoon for some counties near Lake Michigan and also northern Wisconsin.
The high levels of wildfire smoke that have reached the surface will stay with us all day Thursday. Even worse smoke is in place across northeast Wisconsin, including Door County. There are some indications that the smoke will get better during the day on Friday, but waves of smoke may return at times for the weekend.
As of 7 AM Friday morning, air quality numbers are above 500 for an Air Quality Index in Milwaukee County and close to that number in many other counties. These are the highest air quality numbers we have seen in recorded history in Milwaukee.
The heat will take a bit of a break Thursday with highs in the 80s. Part of the cooler temps are due to the smoke with the sun's rays having a hard time reaching the surface to warm us much. A lake breeze will also be in effect at times. The heat returns very quickly on Friday and Saturday with highs hovering around 90.
Humidity levels will drop a bit on Thursday into the mid 60s making it feel much less humid than it was Wednesday. The dew points will rise again on Friday and Saturday back into the upper 60s and low 70s making it feel tropical once again.
The heat index will definitely be manageable for any limited outside time on Thursday between 85 to 95 degrees. Heat index values could get as high as 100 both Friday and Saturday.
Stay ahead of the forecast with CBS 58 Weather for live radar, hourly and 7-day forecasts, current temperatures, wind speeds, weather watches and warnings, driving conditions and live camera views from across southeast Wisconsin.
The CBS 58 News and CBS 58 Weather Apps are here and totally free! Stay up to date with the most important News & Ready for whatever mother nature has in store for us with CBS 58 Weather. No matter where you are, or what time it is, the CBS 58 Apps are here for you.
Check out everything these Apps have to offer from News, Traffic, Sports, Weather, Interactive Radar, Daily/Hourly Forecasts, and more! All with the speed and ease of use you would expect from the CBS 58 News Team.