Red air quality advisory in effect across northern and western Wisconsin
Tuesday, June 3, 2025 – The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued a “Red” level air quality alert for a wide swath of northern and western Wisconsin, in effect from midnight to noon Central Time today. The warning follows an influx of dense surface smoke blowing in from the northwest overnight.
The counties under this alert include Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Forest, Iron, Jackson, La Crosse, Langlade, Lincoln, Marathon, Monroe, Oneida, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Washburn, and Wood.
The DNR notes that this “Red” designation corresponds to unhealthy air quality for the general public. While the source has not been officially confirmed, these conditions typically result from wildfire smoke carried on northwest winds, often originating in Canada or the Upper Midwest.
Current data and real-time air monitoring can be accessed through the Wisconsin Air Quality Monitoring Data dashboard on the official DNR website.
The situation remains fluid, and atmospheric smoke levels may vary throughout the day based on wind direction, speed, and temperature inversion layers.
