Wednesday's forecast across Chicago calls for a day full of sunshine, with high temperatures in the 50s and 60s, but the skies won't be as bright and vivid as they typically are, NBC 5 Storm Team meteorologist Alicia Roman said.
Instead, they'll be hazy.
"Smoke from Canadian wildfires will spread across our area today, creating hazy, filtered sunshine this afternoon," Roman said. "It will still be a sunny day, the sky will just not be as bright blue as normal when we have sunny skies."
According to NBC News, 103 wildfires in western Canada are affecting more than 300,000 acres of land in northern and Central Alberta. That smoke is traveling southward, filtering the sun and skies across several states, including Washington, Montana, North and South Dakotas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois.
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The National Weather Service reports that smoke from the wildfires is expected to filter sunshine in the region until at least Thursday. And although it will create hazy conditions during the day it may also result in deeper, more colorful sunsets.
"The smoke will also help create amazing and colorful sunrise and sunsets," Roman said of skies in the Chicago area. "This happens because the smoke only allows for red and orange wavelengths of light to pass through, resulting in beautiful red and orange sunsets and sunrises."
Local
In addition to the hazy skies, Wednesday's forecast calls for dry, cooler temperatures, the NBC 5 Storm Team says. While Tuesday hit a high of 81 degrees, Wednesday is expected to reach only into the mid 60s to low 70s. Along the lake, temperatures will rise only into the 50s, the NBC 5 Storm Team said.
