Air quality alert for NE Minnesota into Saturday as Canadian smoke returns

Wildfire smoke is blowing back into northern Minnesota.

Numerous wildfires in Ontario are putting out significant smoke plumes. Shifting winds in Ontario and northern Minnesota are pushing that smoke southward into our state once again.

The latest smoke wave has prompted a new air quality alert for northeastern Minnesota until 3 p.m. Saturday from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. The air quality alert for central and southern Minnesota will expire at 9 p.m. Friday evening.

Here’s the latest alert language from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency:

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for northeast Minn. for fine particulate, effective Friday, June 23, through Saturday, June 24, at 3 p.m. The affected area in north central and northeast Minn. includes Duluth, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, International Falls, and the tribal nations of Grand Portage, Fond du Lac, Leech Lake, Red Lake, and Mille Lacs.

An air quality alert for ozone continues until Friday at 9 p.m. in southeast Minn.

Northerly winds have brought smoke from wildfires located north of the Canadian border in Ontario into northeast Minn. This batch of heavy smoke arrived this afternoon along the North Shore. Smoke will continue pouring into northeastern Minn. for the rest of today and into Saturday. People should keep windows shut to prevent smoke from entering. Smoke will circulate around the northern periphery of a low-pressure area heading east into Minn. The smoke may get drawn into northwest Minn. during the weekend, requiring additional alerts.

Fine particle levels are expected to be in the orange AQI category, a level that is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. In the orange area, sensitive groups should avoid prolonged time outdoors.

Air quality forecast

The air quality is forecast to improve a bit across southern Minnesota this weekend. Most of the smoke will focus on northern Minnesota for now. Air quality is expected to be good to moderate across central and southern Minnesota Saturday.

But some smoke may get dragged south into the Twin Cities and southern Minnesota Sunday.

Here’s the latest forecast discussion from the MPCA:

Updated Fri, Jun 23, 2023

A cold front has pushed into Minnesota. Clouds and scattered showers/thunderstorms will cover northwestern and much of central Minnesota, roughly from Marshall to St Cloud to Duluth westward. South central and southeastern Minnesota will have more sun and only isolated showers. Ozone has reached Orange (USG) for the final time of this stretch of ozone on Friday in much of east central and southeast Minnesota including the Twin Cities. Ozone in the rest of the state will be Green (Good) to Yellow (Moderate). In northeast Minnesota, some smoke from Ontario wildfires has arrived and will likely cause Orange AQIs in parts of North Central and Northeast Minnesota. Particulate AQIs in the rest of the state will be mainly Yellow except for Green in the far northwest. A low pressure will traverse east across the state during the weekend. Smoke will be drawn west and southwest on the north side of the low, and the AQI may reach alert levels over the weekend in parts of northern Minnesota. The low pressure will help improve air quality in central and southern Minnesota. The smoke may get dragged across all of Minnesota later Sunday and Monday as the low pulls away from the area.

Stay tuned.