Northeast Minnesota faces another air quality alert starting Tuesday

MN weather: Monday forecast update

FOX 9's Jared Piepenburg shares an update to the Minnesota weather forecast for Aug. 4, 2025.

(FOX 9) - After a record stretch of unhealthy air quality, northeast Minnesota will again face another air quality alert starting Tuesday morning due to wildfire smoke.

Air quality alert issued

What we know:

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) issued an air quality alert for northeast Minnesota starting early Tuesday at 1 a.m. The alert runs until noon on Wednesday.

The alert includes Minnesota's Arrowhead region, and cities including Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, and the Tribal Nations of Grand Portage and Fond du Lac.

Local perspective:

The MPCA expects air quality levels to fall to levels that are unhealthy for sensitive groups. But it's possible the air quality worsens for brief periods of time and extends to parts of north central Minnesota.

The smoke may cause the sky to appear to be hazy and people in affected areas may smell smoke.

The backstory:

The new alert follows a record stretch that was lifted just Sunday night after Minnesota experienced a record six consecutives days under an air quality alert.