Wildfire smoke finally clearing out as storms move into the Eastern US

Key Points:

• Severe storms moving into the eastern U.S. this weekend are expected to clear much of the wildfire smoke from Canadian wildfires that has caused hazardous air quality in the Upper Midwest and very unhealthy levels in the Northeast.
• Over 125 million Americans across 18 states remain under Air Quality Alerts on Saturday, but a warm front moving north along the I-95 corridor will usher in cleaner air, improving conditions in major cities like Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
• The Great Lakes and Midwest will also see smoke clearing as a cold front associated with a low-pressure system moves through, bringing severe weather and sweeping away smoke.
• Despite the improvement, the FOX Forecast Center warns smoke may return early next week as another cold front passes through, potentially keeping unhealthy air in parts of the Upper Midwest and western Great Lakes.
• Some relief is expected as recent rain in Canadian wildfire areas has limited smoke production, so overall air quality should improve compared to the past several days.