Air Quality Alert Issued For Fond du Lac County

An air quality alert has been issued for southern Wisconsin, including Fond du Lac County today, Friday, May 19, 2023. The alert, which goes through midnight tonight, is due to
wildfire smoke originating from Canada, moving into southern and eastern Wisconsin from the northwest.

Particulate matter concentrations will likely increase sharply at times before steadily diminishing as cleaner air moves in later tonight.

The air quality index is expected to reach the “UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS” level. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.

About 90 wildfires, spurred on by unusually high temperatures, have been burning in the western Canadian Province of Alberta.

A high pressure weather system over the Montana region has been blowing the smoke across Saskatchewan and Manitoba and then south over Minnesota and southern Wisconsin for the last 3 days, causing the sun to be filtered, making sunrises and sunsets appear more red than usual.

The smoke, for the most part, has been held in the upper levels of atmosphere but has been making its way lower.

The smoke is so thick, it can be seen on satellite imagery more than 1500 miles from its originating fires.