Air quality alert is expected to lift by weekend in Michigan as winds shift and rain falls

Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press
Updated ·2 min read

Michigan — the southern half of it anyway — is still under an air quality alert, but for how long is under debate.

Forecasters early Friday morning said that the alert, caused by Canadian wildfire smoke, is set to end at noon, but was, for southeast Michigan, extended until midnight as wind patterns are expected to shift. Northern Michigan is in the clear, and western Michigan should be later Friday.

The GM Renaissance Center is seen through haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada in Detroit on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.
The GM Renaissance Center is seen through haze and smoke caused by wildfires in Canada in Detroit on Tuesday, June 6, 2023.

"Some plumes are still hanging around and building up in Canada," state meteorologist Alex Kownacki in Lansing said, adding that it is mainly affecting southeast Michigan. "The winds are looking like they will shift, which will help keep the smoke out of our area."

By Saturday, it should be safe — at least according to what the folks making these calls know now — for an outdoor, Taylor Swift concert meetup or to go fishing, which the state Department of Natural Resources has been promoting.

And by Sunday, meteorologists are hoping some long awaited rain will clear the air and reduce wildfire threats.

Friday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an alert warning that while camp and cook fires are allowed, "we strongly suggest holding off on any outdoor burning until we get significant rain and the very high fire danger we are facing subsides."

More: Canadian wildfires brings dense smoke to Michigan, but forecasted rain could wash it away

More: Wildfire danger remains extreme across Michigan — and now winds are coming

If you want to check Air Quality Index information, maps and forecasts are available on AirNow and Michigan's EGLE. AirNow also has a mobile app that automatically displays the current Air Quality Index for your area and other areas as well.

On the U.S. Air Quality Index, a numeric scale of air quality ratings, 101-150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups and 151-200 is unhealthy for the general public. Other indexes systems use a color-coded alert system, ranging from green, good, to orange, and red, unhealthy and, purple and maroon, the worst.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com. Free Press reporter Nour Rahal contributed.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan still under air quality alert, but it could be lifted soon