An air quality alert has been issued for all of Michigan due to wildfire smoke from Canada.
The air quality alert will be in effect from Sunday through Monday. It was initially issued through noon on Monday, but on Sunday afternoon, officials extended the alert to go through Monday night.
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The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy issued the alert for elevated levels of pollutants from wildfire smoke that’s moving into the state.
Wildfire smoke is expected to push into Michigan from Saturday to Monday and will reach the western part of the Upper Peninsula during the afternoon on Saturday.
After that, officials say the smoke will push east and south, and expand across the rest of Michigan on Sunday.
Pollutants are expected to be in Very Unhealthy (Purple) to Unhealthy (Red AQI) range in northern areas of the state, and in the Unhealthy to USG (Orange AQI) ranges in southern areas.
An air quality advisory has also been issued for all of Southeast Michigan.
What to know about the Air Quality Index
The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a color-coded tool used to indicate air pollution levels, with higher values indicating poorer air quality.
Difference between advisory and alert
Here’s the difference between an air quality alert and an advisory:
- An advisory is issued when multiple air quality monitors are expected to reach or exceed the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) threshold, marked by an Orange AQI.
- An alert is issued when multiple monitors are predicted to reach or exceed the Unhealthy threshold, covering the Red (unhealthy), Purple (very unhealthy) and Maroon (hazardous) AQI levels.
