Band of wildfire smoke seen on visible satellite July 15th 2026.
MILWAUKEE - Wildfire smoke from large fires burning in northern Minnesota and northwestern Ontario is expected to spread across Wisconsin Wednesday afternoon through Thursday, creating widespread hazy skies and unhealthy air quality.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources issued an air quality advisory through noon Thursday, warning that air quality could range from "unhealthy for sensitive groups" to "very unhealthy," with brief periods of "hazardous" air quality possible in some locations.
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When will smoke arrive?
Timeline:
The smoke is expected to move south in waves over the next 24 hours.
- Wednesday afternoon: Smoke reaches east-central Wisconsin, including the Sheboygan area.
- Wednesday evening: Haze expands into the Milwaukee metro and the rest of southeast Wisconsin.
- Overnight Wednesday: Smoke spreads south toward the Illinois border.
- Thursday: Nearly all of Wisconsin could experience smoky conditions, with the thickest concentrations expected in northwestern Wisconsin and enhanced smoke possible along both Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
We expect visibility to decrease in many areas, especially Wednesday night into Thursday morning. The haze may linger into Friday before winds and an approaching cold front begin to improve conditions.
Why is smoke reaching the ground?
Dig deeper:
Not every wildfire smoke event impacts the air we breathe at the surface.
However, this time, a combination of northwest winds aloft transporting smoke from Canada and Minnesota, along with high pressure creating sinking air toward the ground, is bringing smoke from higher levels of the atmosphere down to the surface.
That means this event will affect more than just the appearance of the sky. It will directly impact the air quality across much of the state.
Who is hit hardest?
Why you should care:
The tiny particles in wildfire smoke, known as PM2.5, are small enough to travel deep into the lungs and can even enter the bloodstream. That means, everyone will be impacted by breathing smoky air, but there are groups who will be hit harder than others.
According to the Wisconsin DNR, wildfire smoke poses the greatest risk to:
- Children
- Older adults
- Pregnant women
- People with asthma or other lung diseases
- Anyone with heart disease
Even healthy adults may notice coughing, sore throats, headaches, watery eyes or shortness of breath during periods of heavy smoke.
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How to protect yourself
What you can do:
If smoke becomes noticeable where you live, health officials recommend:
- Stay indoors as much as possible.
- Keep windows and doors closed.
- Run your air conditioner on recirculate with a clean, high-efficiency filter.
- Use an air purifier if available.
- Avoid vacuuming, burning candles or frying foods, which can worsen indoor air quality.
- Delay strenuous outdoor exercise.
- Wear a properly fitted N95 mask if you must spend extended time outside.
- Check air quality frequently throughout the day.
When will smoke clear?
What's next:
Of course, the smoky pattern won't last forever.
Shower and thunderstorm chances increase beginning Friday and continue through the weekend as a cold front moves through Wisconsin. Besides bringing opportunities for rain, the changing weather pattern should help disperse the smoke while ushering in cooler air. By Sunday and early next week, highs are expected to return to near seasonal normals with much more comfortable humidity.
The Source: Information in this story is from the FOX6 Weather Experts, National Weather Service and Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.