TRAVERSE CITY — Northern Michigan’s air quality is expected to begin improving late today and into Saturday, but the smoke from Canadian wildfires likely won’t be blown away altogether.
The statewide Air Quality Alert is still in place today with Very Unhealthy levels of pollutants expected in the Lower Peninsula, according to a Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy post on the MiAir online hub.
“Observed smoke concentrations are unprecedented and far exceed the smoke events of 2023 and 2025,” the EGLE post states. “This can be blamed on the nearness of the fires (north of the Minnesota arrowhead region) and the sheer number and size of fires in that area.”
The MiAir Air Quality Index Dashboard reports northern lower Michigan monitor stations showed Very Unhealthy to Hazardous readings as of early Thursday evening.
National Weather Service Gaylord Forecast Office Meteorologist Jeff Zoltowski said Thursday that conditions were expected to begin improving late in the day today with winds turning to the southwest. The area including Manistee, Traverse City and Cadillac should start seeing improvements after 4 to 5 p.m.
Traverse City’s forecast shows a 30-percent chance of showers during the first part of today, with chances for more showers and thunderstorms tonight into early Saturday afternoon, which could help.
While wind direction is “one of the critical components” of smoky air, rain can temporarily help wash pollutants out of the air, Zoltowski said. But if the fire continues “upstream,” the problem will persist.
Zoltowski said, “There’s certainly at least a chance” the smoke will billow back into the region later Saturday and possibly at other times next week.
EGLE and weather service officials continue to encourage residents to avoid strenuous outdoor activities and wear an N95 or P100 respirator marked with “NIOSH” if you must be outdoors for short periods of time, especially those with heart or respiratory conditions.
Keeping windows closed and running central air conditioning, if possible, with MERV-13 or higher rated filters can help prevent smoke from getting indoors.