An air quality alert has been issued for the Chicago area this week, but this time, the culprit is not wildfire smoke from western Canada.
According to the federal government’s Air Quality Index (AQI) tool, the current pollutant level in the air in the Chicago area is at 179 as of 5 p.m., which is considered to be in the “unhealthy” range.
While wildfire smoke has largely been to blame for the poor air quality in Chicago recently, the PM 2.5 particulates normally associated with that smoke are actually at a low level, according to AQI officials.
Instead, the driving force is ozone pollution, which is being exacerbated by the hot temperatures in the Chicago area. The increased use of air conditioning is causing more pollutants to enter the atmosphere, along with typical pollution from cars and other machinery.
The air quality alert is calling for Chicago-area residents to reduce pollution levels, which can be achieved in a variety of ways. The first is by running thermostats at warmer temperatures to lower the usage of air conditioning this weekend, a tall order when heat indices could exceed 110 degrees.
Residents are also being urged to cut back on their car usage, carpooling to work or by linking trips instead of making one stop while out of the house, according to officials.
Fortunately for Chicago residents, there is some relief on the way, but it will come at a price, as strong-to-severe thunderstorms could potentially impact the area on Friday, both in the morning and in the afternoon.
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After that however, temperatures are expected to drop, with highs in the 70s by Saturday.
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