Upside of minimal traffic? Unusually good air quality and clear skies

Have you noticed how blue the sky is today?

A combination of factors is creating crystal clear skies across much of Minnesota today. A clear Canadian high-pressure system drifts overhead. The air is dry with this system. Dew points hover in the single digits and teens across most of Minnesota.

In fact, the air mass over Minnesota is significantly drier today than the deserts of Arizona where dew points are in the 30s and 40s.

Low particulate matter

One impact of most of us staying home and not commuting? The air quality in Minnesota has improved. All sites are reporting in the good range today. And some sites are seeing single-digit particulate (PM2.5) matter readings. In fact, the sensor at Detriot Lakes is recording zero particulate matter today.

Clear view from space

The unusually clear air above Minnesota means our weather satellites can see some features on the ground better than on most days.

From space, you can clearly see the snow cover across southwest Minnesota and northwest Iowa from Thursday snow system. You can also see details like the East and West Forks of the Des Moines River snaking southward from southern Minnesota into Iowa contrasted against fresh snow cover. And Minnesota’s still frozen lakes are clearly visible on the image.

Here’s NASA’s MODIS Terra view above Minnesota today.

So one benefit of this unprecedented COVID-19 situation improved air quality and visibility across Minnesota.

Big cities too

The impact of plummeting traffic volumes and emissions is even more pronounced in some big cities. Los Angeles has seen some of the lowest AQI readings on record this week.

Even the famous L.A smoggy brown haze is gone.

Now people can visualize what L.A. skies looked like 100 years ago.