Due to residual smoke from Canadian wildfires, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency extended its air quality advisory on Monday for an additional two days.
Although another extension is possible, it is currently scheduled to expire on Wednesday at noon. Because of the bad air quality, a NEXT Weather Alert is in force till Tuesday AM.
On Monday night, a cold front was expected to pass over the area with showers and storms, but smoke from wildfires could rise to the surface behind that front.
It is anticipated that the metro would fall into the unhealthy category, which means that everyone, not just sensitive populations, will find the air unhealthy.
Additionally, dangerous air quality is predicted for northwest Minnesota. Since the MPCA began issuing these kinds of notifications in 2011, this is the first time they have used a hazardous alert category.
From Brainerd to the northwest, the forecast predicts extremely bad air, a classification that has only been applied once.
With colder highs of over 70 degrees, Tuesday will begin with rain and thunder. The sun will return on Wednesday, and the weather will be milder and dry.
With highs in the upper 70s on Thursday, there is a remote chance of showers.
A “band of very heavy ground-level smoke” that entered Minnesota from the northwest and moved southeast across the state is the reason for the prolongation of the air quality alert, according to the pollution control agency.
“This sets the stage for the continuation of a long-duration significant wildfire smoke event for Minnesota,” according to the agency.
By Tuesday, the air in southeastern and southern Minnesota will be in the orange category, which indicates that it is “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” By Wednesday, the agency predicted a dramatic improvement in air quality.
Thousands of acres have been burned by Canadian wildfires, forcing over 25,000 people to evacuate their homes. Manitoba, where a state of emergency was proclaimed last week, is home to the majority of those evacuees.
In Central and Western Canada, there are 184 active wildfires, 94 of which are out of control, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
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In essence, the smoke from the wildfires is contaminating the air in Minnesota as well as nearby Wisconsin, Michigan, and North Dakota.
Like in 2023, Minnesotans might have to brace themselves for another summer of smoke. According to experts, the state might also have to cope with smoke from wildfires in the west.
Headaches, sore throats, and itchy eyes are among the symptoms of exposure to toxic air.
It is recommended that people use a properly fitting N-95 mask and refrain from spending extended periods of time outside.
