Canadian wildfires cause Illinois air quality issues

June 29, 2023 61 1

SHELBYVILLE — The National Weather Service in St. Louis and Lincoln issued air quality warnings earlier this week for most of Central Illinois.

The air quality issues are in relation to the ongoing wildfires in Canada in which the smoke was blown south across most of the Midwestern and New England states.

The warnings were issued mid-morning Tuesday and will continue through 3:45 p.m. Central on Friday for portions of central Illinois. The warnings would also urge people to limit outdoor activities whenever possible.

In addition to the smoke, ongoing hot and humid weather helped in impacting the air quality, with highs continuing into the 90s on Friday.

The humid weather further exacerbates the moderate drought conditions throughout the region. As a result, lawns, gardens, and more importantly, bumper crops, are in desperation for much-needed rainfall.

Normal rainfall for Illinois in June lies around 4.5 inches. Severe thunderstorms on Thursday throughout portions of the region with upwards of 2 inches of rain may be a start, but it could still fall short of normal rainfall numbers.

Slideshow: Pictures across Central Illinois of smoke and smog

Poor air quality conditions as a result of the Canadian wildfires made driving conditions difficult alongside the Sangamon/Montgomery County line northeast of Virden.
Commuters on both sides of Interstate 55 north of Farmersville were experiencing poor visibility as a result of poor air quality conditions in the region.
Near Dalton City alongside Andrews Street between Dalton City and Macon, visibility continued to decline.
Just off Illinois Route 121 south of Dalton City.
A view from the Illinois Amish Heritage Center in Chesterville.
A view from the Illinois Amish Heritage Center in Chesterville.
A view from the Illinois Amish Heritage Center in Chesterville.
Looking westbound on Illinois Route 16 just outside of Charleston, visibility was beginning to decline as commuters proceeded down the hill.
A view of Lake Shelbyville from the Day Use area on the east side of the dam.
A look at the Kaskaskia River from atop the dam at Lake Shelbyville
A view of Lake Shelbyville of the hazy conditions on the lake from just off the Dacey Trail.
A view of Lake Shelbyville of the hazy conditions on the lake from just off the Dacey Trail.

All photos: Jake Leonard / Heartland Newsfeed

Illinois in need of rainfall due to heat wave

The total rainfall from May 1 to June 29 across the region is roughly 5.17 inches. Even with this figure, it essentially means Central Illinois has missed an entire month’s worth of rainfall.

The National Weather Service is a bit more optimistic in the rainfall forecast for July with rain in the forecast early in the month. There is also a chance of severe thunderstorms Friday, which could still tack on to final numbers for June entering the Independence Day holiday weekend.

Sharon Barricklow from the Shelbyville Eagle contributed to this report.

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Jake Leonard

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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.