Another summer day, another air quality alert. This one is widespread, with the alert spread across all of Minnesota, nearly all of Wisconsin, and the bulk of northern Michigan.
More wildfire smoke is drifting south from wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The alert in Minnesota is effective until 11:00 p.m. Friday night. The northern half of the state is in the red category, or unhealthy of all. The southern half of Minnesota is dealing with orange, or unhealthy for sensitive groups.
"Today's one of those days you step out there, it's down here at the surface," says WCCO-TV Chief Meteorologist Chris Shaffer. "And if you pull out the air quality map, you'll see there are actually pockets where it's flat out unhealthy over parts of the Twin Cities into western Wisconsin, big clumps of unsensitive for all."
Shaffer says anyone exercising or working outside should take it easy with so much small particulate in the air.
"So, If you're going out for a run, if you have breathing issues anyway, or if you notice a little tickle in your throat, an extra cough, you're rubbing your eyes more, that's why," Shaffer adds. "It's like we're all parked around a bonfire right now and the smoke is coming right at you."
Friday morning, the Twin Cities were at a 170 Air Quality Index which is "very unhealthy". Health effects will be immediately felt by sensitive groups and should avoid outdoor activity. Healthy individuals are likely to experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation; consider staying indoors and rescheduling outdoor activities.
"Well, it's so very sad and so it's obviously dangerous, but it says our world's on fire," Gretchen tells WCCO's Al Schoch in St. Paul Friday morning.
"I'm not sure what can be done about it, but I would hope the Canadians are considering some kind of abatement, I don't know what that means more people on the fire line," Tom added.
AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT FROM UNTIL 11 PM FRIDAY
* WHAT...The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an Air Quality Alert for fine particles pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach the Red or Unhealthy category.
* WHERE...Central and south central Minnesota.
* WHEN...From 12 AM CDT Thursday until 11 PM CDT Friday.
* IMPACTS...Some members of the general public may experience health effects. Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, may experience health effects.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...A band of heavy smoke from wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba is moving south across northwest Minnesota. Some uncertainty remains regarding how far south the ground-level smoke will reach by Friday morning, when winds are expected to become southerly and push the smoke back to the north. Air quality should improve gradually from south to north beginning Friday afternoon, with improvement in fine particle levels below the alert threshold expected by the end of Friday.