ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has extended an air quality alert for southwest Minnesota.
The alert will now last until 11 p.m. Wednesday, earlier the agency set the expiration time for Wednesday morning.
MPCA officials noted these affected areas in its news release: Marshall, Worthington, and the tribal nation of Upper Sioux.
The air in southwest Minnesota is expected to reach the orange air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Earlier this summer, the MPCA said Minnesota broke the previous record of air quality alerts when it marked its 23rd, passing the previous record from the summer of 2021.
Minnesota usually averages two or three alerts in a season.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires has been a reoccurring problem this summer.
MPCA listed certain groups that experience health effects from unhealthy air.
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.
Earlier this summer, Minnesota had the worst air quality in the country with an AQI hovering around 175. That's the highest AQI recorded in the Twin Cities since at least 1980 when records began. 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.
The MPCA is continuing to evaluate conditions and provides more information on their air quality conditions site.
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