FORECAST SUMMARY: Saturday, July 25, 2026 – Monday, July 27, 2026
PM-2.5: Concentrations will range from Good (Green AQI) to Moderate (Yellow AQI) with the highest levels in the upper peninsula.
Ozone: 8-hour average Ozone concentrations in the Moderate (Yellow AQI) are expected with the possibility for Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG – Orange AQI).
FORECAST DISCUSSION:
A weather system will drop in from the north on Saturday, affecting mainly upper Michigan, while much of the Lower Peninsula stays dry with a good amount of sunshine. As the boundary drifts south through the day, small chances for showers extend farther into the Lower Peninsula Saturday night into early Sunday. There’s still uncertainty regarding how much precipitation will actually develop over the weekend. For now, Sunday appears mostly dry and warm, with higher chances of rain arriving Monday.
Smoke production remains low from ongoing fires across portions of Ontario and northern Minnesota. Recent precipitation in these areas should help limit smoke generation over the next few days. Farther west, several fires continue to burn across the western U.S. and in the central and northwestern provinces of Canada. Resulting smoke plumes are drifting eastward across the Great Lakes region. Only minor surface impacts are expected in this forecast period. Skies will be hazy at times, but PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the Moderate range are not anticipated. We will continue to monitor the wildfires and associated smoke through the weekend.
Ozone levels rose Friday but stayed in the low‑Moderate range. With sun and a warm southerly flow today, more widespread Moderate readings are expected. Forecast confidence decreases for Sunday and Monday due to uncertain precipitation, cloud cover, and minor surface smoke. Hourly ozone may briefly reach USG on Sunday, but 8‑hour values should remain Moderate. Increased clouds and better rain chances Monday should keep ozone from rising above Moderate. Conditions will be monitored and the forecast updated if higher levels become likely.
EXTENDED FORECAST:
We will continue to monitor the weather and smoke forecasts closely to determine whether any increase in pollution may warrant future Air Quality Alerts.
Next Forecast update: Monday, July 27, 2026