Overview

• Saturday morning air quality readings fell from earlier extremes but still rated unhealthy for sensitive groups across Cook County.
• The National Weather Service issued an air quality alert for Cook County and surrounding northeastern Illinois counties through midnight.
• Officials urged people with respiratory diseases such as asthma to limit prolonged outdoor exposure under current haze conditions.
• Temperatures remained below seasonal averages, hovering between the mid-70s and low-80s.
• Heavier smoke currently over Michigan could move into the Chicago area next week.