Officials have extended the Air Quality Alert for all of the state through Saturday due to “Very Unhealthy to Hazardous” air quality conditions due to wildfire smoke, but the weekend should see improvement.
Improvement in smoke concentration over Metro Detroit to begin Friday night as wind shifts to the southwest after a warm front moves through the region.
“On Saturday concentrations will range from Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) in the south to Very Unhealthy in northern portions of the state,” National Weather Service officials said.
Here’s an every-four-hour look into Sunday.
Wildfire smoke forecast for Noon, Friday, July 17
Much of Michigan is expected to be in dense smoke at noon Friday, which especially high concentrations in the central UP to Saginaw Bay. Metro Detroit concentrations begin to lessen in southern Wayne County.
Wildfire smoke forecast for 4 p.m. Friday, July 17
Clearer air starts moving in from the southwest and much of central Michigan begins to see better air quality, according to forecasts.
8 p.m. Friday wildfire smoke forecast
By 8 p.m., much of southwest Michigan improves considerably, as well as the western UP. Metro Detroit still faces pockets of smoke.
12 a.m. Saturday, July 18
By midnight, Michigan expects to see relief for much of the state, but the Alpena area will still see dense smoke.
Wildfire smoke forecast for 4 a.m. Saturday, July 18
Almost all of Michigan should be clearing by daybreak Saturday, but that’s not the end of Michigan’s period dealing with smoke.
8 a.m. Saturday, July 18
Almost all of Michigan is out of the smoke plume by Saturday morning, but a new wave is starting to flow into the Upper Peninsula.
Noon Saturday, July 18
By noon, the new wave of smoke starts to descend over northern lower Michigan, though not nearly as dense as it was Thursday and Friday.
4 p.m. Saturday, July 18
The western UP is expected to be covered in dense fog again by mid afternoon Saturday and a lighter smog continues its descent across lower Michigan.
8 p.m. Saturday, July 18
All of Michigan is expected to be back in the soup to some extent by 8 p.m. Saturday, with all of the Upper Peninsula in relatively dense smoke.
Midnight, 12 a.m., Sunday, July 18
The plume of dense smoke from the Upper Peninsula begins to descend across northern Lower Michigan.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan air quality expected to improve Saturday: Hour-by-hour forecast
Reporting by The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
