SmogRank / Episodes / United States
North-eastern United States, January 2026
For 1 day, on 6 January 2026, 16 cities in the United States and Canada had PM2.5 at least twice their usual for the time of year. The worst reading was Royal Oak, Michigan, United States: 41.2 µg/m³ on 6 January, about 6.0× its usual 6.9.
No cause named We have no fire or smoke records for these days, so we only say what the measurements show.
Cities reached 16 in 2 countries
Days 1 6 January 2026
Worst day 6 January 16 cities counted
Furthest above usual 6.7× Wheaton
Day by day
Play 6 January 16 cities at twice their usual or more
Elkhart South Bend Wyoming Michigan City Lansing Portage Gary Kokomo East Chicago Hammond Calumet City Dolton Chicago Evanston Muncie Anderson Ann Arbor Lafayette Oak Lawn Northbrook Bridgeview Zion Ypsilanti Lima Fishers Perrysburg South Milwaukee Toledo Oregon Bay City Indianapolis Joliet Naperville Cary Taylor Southfield Lincoln Park Aurora Dearborn Waukesha Detroit Eastpointe Dayton Springfield Champaign Green Bay Dublin Rockford Appleton Port Huron Westerville Sarnia Columbus Gahanna Chatham Bloomington Madison Middleton Decatur Medina Peoria Cleveland Cleveland Heights Shaker Heights Akron Clinton Springfield Painesville Canton London St. Thomas Moline Davenport Warren Youngstown Muscatine Hermitage Kitchener Steubenville Weirton Weirton Heights Brantford Redford Franklin Park Kalamazoo Des Plaines Brookfield Fort Wayne Elmwood Park Holland Grand Rapids Milwaukee Jenison Windsor Elgin Oconomowoc Royal Oak Wheaton 3 Jan 4 5 6 7 8 9 Every measured city in the area, coloured by its PM2.5 that day; a dark ring marks a city at twice its usual or more. Bars: cities counted each day, coloured by their median level. Choose a day or press play; without JavaScript, the days link to that day's world ranking.
How it spread
Royal Oak Royal Oak, 3 January: 5.5 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Royal Oak, 4 January: 11.1 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Royal Oak, 5 January: 39.7 µg/m³, 5.8× usual Royal Oak, 6 January: 41.2 µg/m³, 6.0× usual Royal Oak, 7 January: 29.3 µg/m³, 4.2× usual Royal Oak, 8 January: 25.4 µg/m³, 3.7× usual Royal Oak, 9 January: 5.6 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Windsor Windsor, 3 January: 9.9 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Windsor, 4 January: 11.2 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Windsor, 5 January: 30.4 µg/m³, 3.4× usual Windsor, 6 January: 34.7 µg/m³, 3.9× usual Windsor, 7 January: 27.1 µg/m³, 3.0× usual Windsor, 8 January: 18.3 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Windsor, 9 January: 6.8 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Wheaton Wheaton, 3 January: 9.4 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Wheaton, 4 January: 12.1 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Wheaton, 5 January: 26.8 µg/m³, 4.5× usual Wheaton, 6 January: 39.6 µg/m³, 6.7× usual Wheaton, 7 January: 23.4 µg/m³, 4.0× usual Wheaton, 8 January: 19.4 µg/m³, 3.3× usual Wheaton, 9 January: 9.3 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Oconomowoc Oconomowoc, 3 January: 3.1 µg/m³, 0.4× usual Oconomowoc, 4 January: 7.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Oconomowoc, 5 January: 26.2 µg/m³, 3.3× usual Oconomowoc, 6 January: 39.4 µg/m³, 5.0× usual Oconomowoc, 7 January: 16.6 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Oconomowoc, 8 January: 19.0 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Oconomowoc, 9 January: 5.9 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Redford Redford, 3 January: no reading Redford, 4 January: no reading Redford, 5 January: no reading Redford, 6 January: 28.3 µg/m³, 2.1× usual Redford, 7 January: 22.1 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Redford, 8 January: 19.0 µg/m³, 1.4× usual Redford, 9 January: 14.2 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Grand Rapids Grand Rapids, 3 January: 5.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Grand Rapids, 4 January: 5.6 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Grand Rapids, 5 January: 18.9 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Grand Rapids, 6 January: 27.8 µg/m³, 3.6× usual Grand Rapids, 7 January: 18.8 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Grand Rapids, 8 January: 12.9 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Grand Rapids, 9 January: 3.8 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Kalamazoo Kalamazoo, 3 January: 6.7 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Kalamazoo, 4 January: 5.9 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Kalamazoo, 5 January: 19.9 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Kalamazoo, 6 January: 27.3 µg/m³, 3.3× usual Kalamazoo, 7 January: 18.6 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Kalamazoo, 8 January: 14.6 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Kalamazoo, 9 January: 4.6 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Franklin Park Franklin Park, 3 January: 7.2 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Franklin Park, 4 January: 8.7 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Franklin Park, 5 January: 20.0 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Franklin Park, 6 January: 26.8 µg/m³, 3.0× usual Franklin Park, 7 January: 14.7 µg/m³, 1.7× usual Franklin Park, 8 January: 11.8 µg/m³, 1.3× usual Franklin Park, 9 January: 6.3 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Milwaukee Milwaukee, 3 January: 6.8 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Milwaukee, 4 January: 8.4 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Milwaukee, 5 January: 17.4 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Milwaukee, 6 January: 26.6 µg/m³, 3.8× usual Milwaukee, 7 January: 13.0 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Milwaukee, 8 January: 14.0 µg/m³, 2.0× usual Milwaukee, 9 January: 4.3 µg/m³, 0.6× usual Elmwood Park Elmwood Park, 3 January: 6.9 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Elmwood Park, 4 January: 9.1 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Elmwood Park, 5 January: 19.1 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Elmwood Park, 6 January: 26.2 µg/m³, 3.5× usual Elmwood Park, 7 January: 14.5 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Elmwood Park, 8 January: 11.9 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Elmwood Park, 9 January: 5.8 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, 3 January: 13.5 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Fort Wayne, 4 January: 16.7 µg/m³, 2.2× usual Fort Wayne, 5 January: 19.3 µg/m³, 2.6× usual Fort Wayne, 6 January: 26.1 µg/m³, 3.5× usual Fort Wayne, 7 January: 17.5 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Fort Wayne, 8 January: 14.3 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Fort Wayne, 9 January: 5.0 µg/m³, 0.7× usual Des Plaines Des Plaines, 3 January: 7.2 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Des Plaines, 4 January: 9.3 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Des Plaines, 5 January: 18.0 µg/m³, 2.3× usual Des Plaines, 6 January: 26.0 µg/m³, 3.3× usual Des Plaines, 7 January: 14.3 µg/m³, 1.8× usual Des Plaines, 8 January: 11.9 µg/m³, 1.5× usual Des Plaines, 9 January: 6.4 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Jenison Jenison, 3 January: 6.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Jenison, 4 January: 5.7 µg/m³, 0.8× usual Jenison, 5 January: 17.1 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Jenison, 6 January: 25.8 µg/m³, 3.8× usual Jenison, 7 January: 16.5 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Jenison, 8 January: 11.2 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Jenison, 9 January: 3.3 µg/m³, 0.5× usual Elgin Elgin, 3 January: 6.8 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Elgin, 4 January: 7.9 µg/m³, 1.2× usual Elgin, 5 January: 18.4 µg/m³, 2.8× usual Elgin, 6 January: 25.6 µg/m³, 3.9× usual Elgin, 7 January: 12.3 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Elgin, 8 January: 10.5 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Elgin, 9 January: 6.3 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Holland Holland, 3 January: 6.1 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Holland, 4 January: 7.8 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Holland, 5 January: 16.9 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Holland, 6 January: 25.5 µg/m³, 3.6× usual Holland, 7 January: 16.8 µg/m³, 2.4× usual Holland, 8 January: 11.5 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Holland, 9 January: 6.4 µg/m³, 0.9× usual Brookfield Brookfield, 3 January: 7.7 µg/m³, 1.0× usual Brookfield, 4 January: 8.7 µg/m³, 1.1× usual Brookfield, 5 January: 19.3 µg/m³, 2.5× usual Brookfield, 6 January: 25.5 µg/m³, 3.3× usual Brookfield, 7 January: 15.2 µg/m³, 1.9× usual Brookfield, 8 January: 12.3 µg/m³, 1.6× usual Brookfield, 9 January: 5.9 µg/m³, 0.8× usual 3 Jan 4 5 6 7 8 9 Every counted city, in the order the episode reached them, 3 days before to 3 after. Each square is a day, coloured by that day's PM2.5; outlined: at twice the city's usual or more. Good 0–50
Moderate 51–100
Sensitive groups 101–150
Unhealthy 151–200
Very unhealthy 201–300
Hazardous 301+
Every city it reached
City Days Highest Usual Above usual
Wheaton Illinois, United States 1 6 January 5.9 6.7× Royal Oak Michigan, United States 1 6 January 6.9 6.0× Oconomowoc Wisconsin, United States 1 6 January 7.9 5.0× Elgin Illinois, United States 1 6 January 6.6 3.9× Windsor Ontario, Canada 1 6 January 9.0 3.9× Milwaukee Wisconsin, United States 1 6 January 7.0 3.8× Jenison Michigan, United States 1 6 January 6.8 3.8× Holland Michigan, United States 1 6 January 7.0 3.6× Grand Rapids Michigan, United States 1 6 January 7.7 3.6× Elmwood Park Illinois, United States 1 6 January 7.5 3.5× Fort Wayne Indiana, United States 1 6 January 7.5 3.5× Des Plaines Illinois, United States 1 6 January 7.8 3.3× Kalamazoo Michigan, United States 1 6 January 8.3 3.3× Brookfield Illinois, United States 1 6 January 7.8 3.3× Franklin Park Illinois, United States 1 6 January 8.9 3.0× Redford Michigan, United States 1 6 January 13.4 2.1×
Daily means in µg/m³. Usual: the city's median for this time of year (its days within 21 days of the date, every year, leaving out the week around it). Above usual: its highest day against that.
Against other episodes in the United States and Canada
Number 50 of 106 episodes in the United States and Canada since our records began, by cities reached.
North-eastern United States and Canada, June and July 2023 279 North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2026 264 North-eastern United States and Canada, May and June 2023 260 North-eastern United States and Canada, July and August 2025 241 North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2023 241 North-eastern United States and Canada, June 2025 196 North-eastern United States and Canada, June 2023 161 North-eastern United States and Canada, July 2025 119 North-western United States and Canada, August 2023 110 North-eastern United States, June 2025 104 North-western United States and Canada, August 2026 99 North-eastern United States and Canada, February 2026 96 North-eastern United States, January 2026 16 Bars: cities reached; colour: the level of the episode's highest daily reading. All 106 .
Use this page SmogRank, North-eastern United States, January 2026: 16 cities with PM2.5 at twice their usual or more, 6 January 2026, smogrank.com/episodes/2026-01-north-eastern-united-states (accessed 2 October 2026).
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You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms .
An episode is a run of days when many cities close to each other (four or more within 350 km on a day, 8 or more in all) each had a daily PM2.5 mean of at least 25 µg/m³ and at least 2 times their usual for that time of year. Found in our own measurements, not picked by hand. How we find episodes . Values are each city's daily mean of its own monitors; causes are the usual kinds for a pattern like this, not a confirmed source.
