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Metro Detroit weather: Air Quality Alert heading into a nice stretch of weather

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Published  July 17, 2023 6:19am EDT
Weather Forecast
FOX 2 Detroit

Air Quality Alert with highs around 80

An Air Quality Alert is in effect for Southeast Michigan due to wildfire smoke. Alan Longstreet has your full forecast.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - An Air Quality Alert is in effect for Southeast Michigan to start your week.

Otherwise, it will be a quiet day with Canadian wildfire smoke obscuring the sun at times. A cold front hangs up across the area, but it doesn't look like it brings much if any rain with it. 

High pressure builds across the Great Lakes on Tuesday and Wednesday leading to a nice stretch of weather. 

Thursday should wind up the hottest day as a cold front slides in and brings with it our next best chance for storms, temps fade a notch behind that. 

During unhealthy for sensitive groups (AQI orange) to unhealthy for everyone air quality events (AQI red), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) advises the following:

For people with heart or lung disease, pregnant people, older adults aged 65+, children, and teens it is suggested to take the following steps to reduce exposure:

  • Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
  • Keep outdoor activities short.
  • Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

For everyone else:

  • Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard. ‘
  • Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
  • Be active outdoors when air quality is better.

During very unhealthy or hazardous for everyone air quality (purple to maroon Air Quality Index levels), MDHHS advises the following for everyone:

  • Stay indoors with the doors and windows closed using MERV-13 or better air filtration.
  • Seek shelter elsewhere if you do not have an air conditioner, and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed. Call or text 211 or contact your local health department to find out if there is a shelter or cooling center nearby.
  • Use air filters to improve indoor air quality. Whether you have a central air conditioning system or a portable room unit, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from smoke. If you don’t have access to those filter systems, you can create a temporary air purifier with a 2012 or newer box fan and attaching a MERV-13 or higher air filter to it. Information is available online.
  • Keep activity levels low.
  • Avoid outdoor activities.
  • Use N95 style masks if you have to be outside.Surgical and cloth masks are not recommended as they are not designed to prevent breathing in the fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke.