Minnesota air quality: MPCA issues alert through Monday, warns of hazardous conditions
Tracking air quality conditions across Minnesota
Wildfire smoke is still impacting air quality across Minnesota. Here's a look at conditions at 8 a.m. on Friday.
(FOX 9) - The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued another air quality alert Friday, warning that wildfire smoke could bring hazardous air quality to parts of Minnesota through Monday.
Wildfire smoke prompts air quality alert
Big picture view:
The air quality alert is in effect from 10 a.m. Friday until 11 a.m. Monday for portions of east central, west central, north central, northwest, central and northeast Minnesota.
The worst air quality is expected in northeastern Minnesota, where the AQI is forecast to reach the maroon category, considered hazardous for everyone. Parts of north central and east central Minnesota are expected to reach the purple category, or very unhealthy for everyone, while much of central and western Minnesota is forecast to reach the red category, considered unhealthy for everyone.
MPCA map for the latest air quality alert.
Dig deeper:
Smoke is expected to gradually retreat from parts of north central and northeastern Minnesota on Friday, but dense smoke is expected to persist across much of northeastern Minnesota through the weekend and into Monday.
Another area of heavy smoke will move across northwestern Minnesota Friday morning and afternoon before air quality improves by this evening. Additional smoke could drift south from Canada this weekend, potentially prompting the air quality alert to expand into east central and southeastern Minnesota.
The Source: This story uses information from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.