Smoke From Minnesota Wildfires Reaches Chicago Suburbs

The National Weather Service has issued the following statement:

SMOKE FROM NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA WILD FIRE SPREADING INTO
NORTHERN ILLINOIS...

SMOKE FROM A LARGE WILDFIRE OVER NORTHEAST MINNESOTA HAS BEEN
MOVING INTO FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS THIS AFTERNOON...DUE TO
NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND A COLD FRONT WHICH MOVED ACROSS THE AREA
EARLY THIS MORNING. ALTHOUGH THE FIRE IS MORE THAN 400 MILES
NORTHWEST OF THE AREA...THE COMBINATION OF SINKING AIR AND
NORTHERLY WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT HAS TRANSPORTED SMOKE ALL THE WAY
INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE SMOKE WILL LIKELY PERSIST THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...BEFORE WINDS BECOME MORE
WESTERLY IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT WHICH WILL APPROACH
EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. SMOKE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO SPREAD TO
THE SOUTHEAST ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHEAST ILLINOIS AND NORTHWEST
INDIANA THROUGH THIS EVENING. EXPECT HAZY SKIES AND A DISTINCT
BURNING ODOR.

THE LAKE COUNTY ILLINOIS EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS THAT SMOKE IS
PREVALENT ENOUGH TO CAUSE PEOPLE TO REPORT DIFFICULTY BREATHING
AND BURNING OF THEIR EYES.

INDIVIDUALS WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SHOULD USE CAUTION WHILE
SMOKE AFFECTS THE AREA.