Air quality alert until 6 p.m. Sunday in south metro and southern MN; Cool start to the week

Air quality was moderate at 11 a.m. Sunday from central Minnesota through the Twin Cities metro area and into southeastern Minnesota.

Due to smoke from Canadian wildfires, air quality at 11 a.m. was unhealthy (red category) in southwestern Minnesota and either unhealthy or unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange category) in portions of west-central Minnesota.

Some additional smoky air will spread eastward from South Dakota Sunday afternoon, so air quality is expected to deteriorate in the portions of southern Minnesota and the south metro that will start the afternoon with moderate air quality.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency continues air quality alerts until 6 p.m. Sunday in the orange and red-shaded counties of Minnesota, including the south metro:

The southern portions of Scott County and Dakota County are expected to see air quality enter the unhealthy (red) category at some point, while northern portions of those counties plus Carver County see air quality enter mainly the unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange) category.

Unhealthy air quality is expected across much of southern Minnesota.

Here’s the MPCA discussion of the air quality alert that includes the southern part of the Twin Cities metro area plus southern Minnesota:

MNZ054>057-064>070-073>078-082>085-091>093-162300- Blue Earth-Brown-Carver-Chippewa-Dakota-Faribault-Freeborn- Goodhue-Kandiyohi-Lac Qui Parle-Le Sueur-Martin-McLeod-Nicollet- Redwood-Renville-Rice-Scott-Sibley-Steele-Swift-Waseca-Watonwan- Yellow Medicine- Including the tribal nations of Prairie Island and Upper Sioux Including the cities of Albert Lea, Apple Valley, Burnsville, Eagan, Farmington, Hastings, Mankato, Northfield, Prior Lake, Rosemount, Shakopee, and Waconia 725 PM CDT Sat Jul 15 2023 ...AIR QUALITY ALERT NOW IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 PM CDT Sunday... * WHAT...The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has extended an Air Quality Alert for fine particle pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach the Red or Unhealthy category. * WHERE...Portions of central and southern Minnesota. * WHEN...Through 6 PM CDT Sunday. * IMPACTS...Some members of the general public may experience health effects. Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, may experience health effects. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Smoke from wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia continues to slowly move south across Minnesota. Another smoke incursion is expected along and south of the Minnesota River Valley overnight and into Saturday. This second round of smoke will gradually clear from north to south Sunday and will clear the Interstate 90 corridor by 6pm Sunday evening. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... The general public should limit prolonged or heavy exertion. Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, such as outdoor burning, and use of residential wood burning devices. Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible. && 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 EPA AirNow mobile app, visit https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land- climate/current-air-quality-conditions. You can find additional information about health and air quality at https://www.pca.state.mn.us/air-water-land-climate/air-quality- and-health.

The Minnesota air quality measurement map is typically updated about once per hour.

Sunday shower chance

Parts of central Minnesota, the Twin Cities metro area and west-central Wisconsin saw a passing shower this morning. More numerous showers were seen in northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

The best chance of scattered showers and an isolated thunderstorm Sunday afternoon and evening is expected to be in north-central and northeastern Minnesota and in Wisconsin. An isolated shower or thunderstorm is possible elsewhere in Minnesota.

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. You can check radar here.

You can also check these National Weather Service sites for updated weather info: Twin Cities, Duluth, La Crosse, Wis., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Grand Forks, N.D.

Monday shower chance

On Monday, the best chance of scattered showers and possibly an isolated thunderstorm will be in in north-central and northeastern Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s North American Mesoscale (NAM) forecast model shows the potential rain pattern from 5 a.m. Monday to 10 p.m. Monday:

The next chance of meaningful rain in the Twin Cities metro area may be on Wednesday…check forecast updates.

Temperature trends

The average Twin Cities high temperature is 84 degrees this time of year. Most of the metro area will top out in the upper 70s Sunday afternoon.

Sunday highs will be in the 60s across much of the northern third of Minnesota and in parts of northwestern Wisconsin, with mainly 70s elsewhere in Minnesota and in west-central Wisconsin.

Monday highs will be mainly in the 70s, but northeastern and north-central Minnesota will see some 60s:

Tuesday high temps reach the lower 80s from central Minnesota through the metro area and west-central Wisconsin, with mainly 70s elsewhere:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the upper 80s on Wednesday, followed by lower 80s Thursday then mid 80s on Friday.

We could see above-normal temperatures next weekend and into the start of the following week, according to the July 23-29 temperature outlook from the NWS Climate Prediction Center:

We’ll see if that pans out.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.