The air quality alert issued by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency continues for most of Minnesota until 3 p.m. today, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
However, the air quality alert has been cancelled for portions of southeast Minnesota. The area no longer in the alert includes Rochester and Winona.
A significant and long duration air quality event has been occurring across Minnesota over the past several days. Smoke from Canadian wildfires has remained over most of Minnesota since Thursday. The state’s eastern half has experienced a significant improvement in air quality.
However, lingering smoke over western Minnesota, combined with new smoke over the northern part of the state, have degraded air quality this morning. High pressure currently resides over the Iowa border and westerly winds over the state will move this smoke into the Twin Cities and northeast Minnesota today. Fine particle levels will begin to improve tomorrow as southerly winds start moving the smoke out of the state.
For information on current air quality conditions in your area and to sign up for daily air quality forecasts and alert notifications by email, text message, phone, or the Minnesota Air mobile app, visit MPCA’s Air Quality Index webpage. You can find additional information about health and indoor and outdoor air quality at Air Quality and Health webpage.
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