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Though folks in the Chicago area are likely eager to get outside after days of poor air quality while the region was covered by a blanket of thick wildfire smoke, several rounds of strong storms and a second wave of wildfire smoke may put a damper on outdoor plans.
Much of the Chicago area is under an air quality alert through Saturday night, and that could be extended as a second round of smoke rolls in.
The Air Quality Index in the Chicago area throughout the weekend is expected to fall between 100 to 150, a range that is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” That said, more smoke is expected to hit the area on Saturday night and linger through Sunday, which may worsen the air quality again, according to NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Kevin Jeanes.
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The smoke expected to hit on Saturday is not expected to be as dense as what was seen on Thursday when Chicago’s AQI was the worst of any major city in the world, but smoke and air quality forecasts are sensitive to sudden changes so it’s something to check if you have outdoor plans this weekend.
Thunderstorms are possible from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday thanks to southwest winds that pushed the smoke away on Friday and also brought in more warm and humid air.
Feels-like temperatures on Saturday afternoon could reach 100 degrees, helping fuel the chance of storms as a cold front moves in from the north.
Damaging winds are possible during the storms, as well as downpours and frequent lightning. The cold front is expected to quickly push south, meaning the storms should only last roughly one to two hours in a given location, according to the National Weather Service.
The storms are expected to hit areas in the north earlier in the day, though the greatest threat for severe weather is near and southeast of I-55, according to NWS.
Cooler air that is expected to move in behind the front through Saturday evening, as is more wildfire smoke carried by north/northeast wind.
That smoke is likely to stick around into Sunday, with the highest levels expected from Chicago to the north and west through the Rockford area.
While skies are expected to be hazy on Sunday, that smoke shouldn’t be as dense as what was seen over the past few days.
Apart from the smoke, Sunday should be fairly nice, with significantly lower humidity than the day prior.
Humidity is expected to build again on Monday, and another round of severe thunderstorms is possible.
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