Chicago Weather

Chicago weather: Haze from wildfire smoke continues, along with warm, dry conditions

Haze from wildfire smoke aloft will continue to impact Chicago-area skies for the third straight day

While thousands in Louisiana remain without power and flash flooding was possible following the landfall of what was once Hurricane Francine, a dry weather pattern with summer-like warmth and hazy skies is set to continue for the Chicago area.

According to NBC 5 Meteorologist Alicia Roman, Thursday will see a high of 86 degrees, with cooler readings near the lake.

Skies Thursday will be sunny but hazy, as wildfire smoke from western wildfires continues drifting through the area for a third straight day.

As of 5:30 a.m., AirNow.gov listed Chicago's air quality as "moderate," which ranks on the Air Quality Index as level two of six. While Ozone remained at a good level, PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, may impact sensitive groups, AirNow said.

"If you are unusually sensitive to particle pollution, consider reducing your activity level or shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors," the website said.

Chicago to see final 7 p.m. sunset this weekend as time change approaches

Clouds were expected to gradually increase Thursday and over the next couple of days, Roman said, though rain from Francine was expected to stay across Tennessee.

Friday morning however, some rain from Francine, now a tropical storm, could clip southern Illinois and Indiana.

Saturday, spotty showers and sprinkles could bring rain to Kankakee, Grundy and LaSalle counties, Roman said, adding that some parts could see scattered showers Sunday.

Still, dry conditions were expected for most of the area over the weekend, Roman said.

Temperatures were expected to remain in the 80s, Roman said, with highs in the low-to-mid 80s for the next 10 days.

How is the weather impacting fall colors?

Such warm temperatures and dry weather could impact when the leaves in the area change color, the Morton Arboretum said.

“It’s kind of a critical season," Dr. Christy Rollinson said, of September. "There’s always trees that turn colors a little early, but we’re getting a little bit more color than normal. If that trend continues, it’ll be driven by the dry weather we’re having.”

TIMELINE: When will fall leaves peak in Illinois? What to expect with this year's foliage

Rollinson said that warm weather by itself doesn’t impact how quickly leaves will change color, but that it can help dry out soil, which limits moisture that flows to leaves and can encourage them to change color and die off more quickly.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of the Chicago area is currently considered “abnormally dry” due to low amounts of rainfall in recent weeks.

That hot and dry weather could continue for at least the next week or two, with the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center calling for above-average temperatures and near-normal precipitation over the next 8-to-14 days.

Contact Us