Why might Chicago air quality be bad today? Timing, what to expect NBC Chicago [Video]

Smoke from wildfires burning in Canada, North Dakota and Minnesota is expected to hit the Chicago area Friday, but what will that mean for the region’s air quality?

The wildfire smoke is expected to move into the Chicago area Friday, leading to hazy skies and potential air quality issues, with an air quality alert already issued for all of Wisconsin.

So what can you expected and when?

Illinois will begin to see — and smell — smoke from the wildfires beginning Friday afternoon, NBC 5 Storm Team Meteorologist Alicia Roman said.

“Smoke really starts to fill in around 5 p.m.,” Roman said, with thick smoke expected across Chicago’s western counties, accompanied by strong wind out of the north. “By 6 p.m., parts of our area could have heavy smoke or haze.”

The smoky and hazy conditions could last through Saturday morning and into afternoon.

But the air quality issues will depend on multiple factors, including the humidity in the air and how high the smoke stays …