An air filter assembly is provided for an evaporative emissions control canister used with an internal combustion engine fuel system. The air filter assembly includes: a housing having an air inlet formed in an upper portion of the housing and an air outlet; and a plurality of vertically extending baffles disposed within the housing between the upper portion of the housing and a bottom portion of the housing. The baffles form a plurality of vertically extending channels interconnected horizontally through horizontally interconnecting channels disposed adjacent the upper portion of the housing and an opposing bottom portion of the housing. A first one of the vertically extending channels receives air entering the housing from the air inlet. The air then passes laterally outwards in the housing from the first one of the vertically extending channels successively to other ones of the vertically extending channels in a serpentine flow successively upwards and downwardly and through the horizontally interconnecting channels and then finally exiting the housing through the air outlet. A filter is disposed in one of the plurality of vertically extending channels in a path of the serpentine flow of the air passing through such one of the vertically extending channels.
