SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota had the worst air quality in the country on Wednesday afternoon, as the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) expanded and extended the latest air quality alert triggered by Canadian wildfire smoke.
An update issued by MPCA officials Thursday morning says air quality should be improving across northern Minnesota and the alert for the northern half of the state will expire.
Heavy smoke will continue to linger over the east central and southern portions of the state Thursday, and the alert will continue in these areas through 6 a.m. Friday.
In the Twin Cities, air quality should steadily improve throughout the day Thursday but much of southern Minnesota will reach the Orange (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) category, with isolated areas of Red (Unhealthy) possible early in the day.
MPCA says the band of smoke impacting the state will begin dissipating Friday, but will linger enough to produce Yellow (moderate) AQI values statewide Friday and Saturday.
The alert remains in effect Thursday due to unhealthy air because of the warm temperatures, sunny skies, low humidity and light winds. These conditions "produce an environment for Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) to react in the air to produce elevated levels of ozone Wednesday afternoon," according to the release.
Impacted areas include Roseau, International Falls, Ely, Hibbing, Duluth, Two Harbors, Brainerd, Alexandria, Moorhead, Ortonville, St Cloud, the Twin Cities, and the tribal nations of Prairie Island, Mille Lacs, Fond du Lac, and Grand Portage.
MPCA officials say smoke from the Canadian wildfires is to blame for the poor air, which has been a reoccurring problem. The MPCA's alerts are color-coded. Orange air quality is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Red air quality is unhealthy for everyone. Officials say the air quality is expected to reach the red category in northern and central Minnesota. Air quality is expected to reach orange in south-central and southeast Minnesota.
Officials say smoke can aggravate those with heart and lung disease as well as cardiovascular and respiratory infections. According to the MPCA, symptoms could include chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and fatigue.
According to the MPCA, Wednesday's levels are believed to be the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded in the Twin Cities since at least 1980, when records began. As of 9 p.m., the MPCA was predicting Wednesday's AQI, which is a 24-hour calculation, to be around 175.
The highest AQI ever recorded in the state is from Red Lake Nation on July 20, 2021, according to the MPCA. On that day, the AQI was 259 in that region.
Wednesday's poor air quality prompted the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to cancel all outdoor programs on Wednesday, as well as postponements and cancellations for numerous other outdoor events across the Twin Cities.
People who need to be especially mindful of the alerts include:
- People who have asthma or other breathing conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- People who have heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes
- Pregnant people
- Children and older adults
People with increased exposure include:
- People of all ages who do longer or more vigorous physical activity outdoors
- People who work outdoors, especially workers who do heavy manual labor
- People who exercise or play sports outdoors, including children
- People who don’t have air conditioning and need to keep windows open to stay cool
- People in housing not tight enough to keep unhealthy air out, or who do not have permanent shelter.
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