Smoke prompts air quality alerts, blocks blue sky over Northeast, Midwest
People may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation as Canadian wildfire smoke causes air quality to deteriorate in the Midwest and Northeast.
With smoke from the Canadian wildfires dangerously reducing air quality in the United States, AccuWeather’s Jon Porter demonstrates how you can stay safe from pollutants with the free AccuWeather app.
Air quality alerts have been issued from Illinois to New Hampshire as wildfire smoke blankets sky from the Great Lakes across portions of the Northeast.
"Smoke from Canadian wildfires will lead to hazy skies and potential air quality issues across portions of the Northeast, especially near the Great Lakes. Some surface-level impacts are possible for sensitive populations," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger said.
On Wednesday morning, the worst air quality was reported around Chicago, where the Air Quality Index (AQI) was 135, which is considered "unhealthy."
"Healthy individuals are likely to experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation," Plume Labs said, adding that people should consider staying indoors and rescheduling outdoor activities.
A map of the air quality across the Great Lakes and Northeast on Aug. 6, 2025. Red indicates "unhealthy" air quality. (AccuWeather/Plume Labs)
Air quality in New York City improved some from Tuesday to Wednesday, but was still poor with an AQI of 76. Even at its worst, the air quality was not nearly as bad as it was in 2023 during the historic wildfire smoke outbreaks across the Northeast.
A thick haze blankets New York City as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to impact air quality, prompting health alerts and reducing visibility across the metropolitan area, on August 05, 2025 in New York, United States. (Photo by Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Experts recommend checking the air quality at your location before spending time outdoors, especially for people with respiratory issues who are more sensitive to air quality.
