Wisconsin dangerous air quality; wildfire smoke from Canada
MILWAUKEE - Wisconsin has been dealing with thick wildfire smoke aloft from Canada during the end of May and early June.
Poor air quality
What we know:
A cold front that passed through the evening on June 3, 2025, which allowed smoke from 30,000 feet down to the surface, created dangerous air quality levels.
On Wednesday and Thursday, the dense smoke near the surface will cause air to be unhealthy for sensitive ground and everyone to breathe in at times.
Due to the extended timeframe that smoke will linger near the surface, the National Weather Service has pushed the air quality alert now through noon on Thursday, June 5.
Wildfire smoke causes visible hazy looking skies and can create more vivid red/orange sunrises and sunsets. Only longer wavelengths such as red and orange can penetrate through the smoke.
Smoke has created hazy skylines and reduced visibility to several miles in portions of southeast Wisconsin.
While the most dense smoke is stretching across Wisconsin, other areas in the Midwest and east coast are experiencing surface smoke as well.
During the afternoon on Wednesday, June 4. the air quality in Milwaukee is one of the worst in the United States and in the top five worst air quality levels in the entire world! Most other locations with dangerous air quality are overseas.
Poor air quality typically impacts younger people, older adults and those with respiratory or heart issues. At times when the air quality is so poor, it can impact everyone even if someone does not have any underlying health issues.
Here are some tips and tricks to help when the air quality is poor. Another good tip is to keep the air-recirculation button on in your car to prevent harmful air from coming in while driving.
FOX6 Weather Extras
Meanwhile, FOX6Now.com offers a variety of extremely useful weather tools to help you navigate the stormy season. They include the following:
FOX6 Storm Center app
FOX LOCAL Mobile app
FOX Weather app
What is the FOX Model?
What is the FOX Model?
FOX Weather Expert Tom Wachs explains the value of the FOX Model for our team -- and our viewers.
FOX Weather
Maps and radar
We have a host of maps and radars on the FOX6 Weather page that are updating regularly — to provide you the most accurate assessment of the weather. From a county-by-county view to the Midwest regional radar and a national view — it’s all there.
School and business closings
When the weather gets a little dicey, schools and businesses may shut down. Monitor the latest list of closings, cancellations, and delays reported in southeast Wisconsin.
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The Source: Information in this report is from the FOX6 Weather Experts and National Weather Service.
The Source: Information in this report is from the FOX6 Weather Experts and National Weather Service.