Thick, acrid smoke still blanketed the Chicago area Friday morning, prompting closures and cancellations in the city and the surrounding suburbs.
An air quality alert currently runs through midnight Friday, though forecasters said the smoke may linger into early Saturday. Chicago’s Air Quality Index hovered around “hazardous” by 10:30 a.m. Friday morning, the most severe level for airborne pollutants, but conditions are expected to improve.
“Based on the latest forecast trends, it looks like air quality should gradually improve as that smoke pushes off to the northeast,” said Zachary Yack, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. “The only caveat is it’s a little unclear how fast things actually improve.”
Thanks to the polluted air, all Chicago beaches and outdoor pools are closed until further notice, the Chicago Park District announced Friday morning. The Osaka Garden, and both the Garfield Park Conservatory and Lincoln Park Conservatory are also closed for the day, while all outdoor park district programs were moved indoors. The Chicago Architecture Center was also closed for the day.
Beaches in Evanston were also closed for the day, and all non-urgent, non-public-safety-related outdoor work activities were paused, including recycling collection, city officials said. Evanston summer camps were moved indoors and all camps that couldn’t be relocated were canceled. The Morton Arboretum in suburban Lisle also closed to the public.
Organizers for some events in the area were waiting to make final decisions about whether to cancel. A spokesperson for Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, which launched its outdoor concert series last weekend with a splashy $70 million renovation, said the organization was “closely monitoring air quality” in advance of tonight’s 8 p.m. Paul Simon performance at the Hunter Pavilion. Organizers said they would have an update this afternoon.
Ravinia said it would continue with Friday’s Steans Institute Chamber Music concert, scheduled for 1:30 p.m. inside Bennett Gordon Hall, closing it to the public but making the show available to stream on Ravinia’s YouTube channel.
The Lakeview Roscoe Village Chamber of Commerce also said it was “closely monitoring” air quality ahead of the Roscoe Village Burger Fest, which was scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m.
Yack noted that as winds begin to push the smoke out of the area, it may linger near Lake Michigan before fully heading northeast.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency projects the air quality for Saturday to be moderate — the second least severe reading on the Air Quality Index scale.
While there is a chance smoke may return to the area Saturday afternoon, Yack says conditions won’t be as severe.
“It probably wouldn’t be as intense as this last bout has been,” Yack said.
Contributing: Cassie Walker Burke
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.