The Twin Cities are bracing for a bout of poor air quality, as smoke from Canadian wildfires is expected to descend upon the region. According to a recent forecast by the National Weather Service issued for Minneapolis MN, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms between 1pm and 3pm today will precede the smoke influx, which is slated to become more prominent after noon on Monday, leading to ongoing air quality issues over the next few days.
While today's weather features partly sunny skies with a high near 84, as the south wind shifts to west in the afternoon, the forecast also indicates a continuing pattern of sunny days with high temperatures in the mid-80s throughout the week; however, the concern lies with what cannot be seen as easily as the cloud or felt as readily as the wind, those fine particles from the distant wildfires that poison the air we breathe, An Air Quality Alert is in effect for the state of Minnesota; this alert was highlighted in a Hazardous Weather Outlook report released by the National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN, noting poor air quality due to the smoke set to move back in tonight.
Residents of central, east central, west central, north central, northwest, and northeast Minnesota are facing an Air Quality Index (AQI) that is "expected to reach the Red or Unhealthy category." The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's alert warns of heavy surface smoke affecting areas starting Sunday morning and expanding east through the evening, with the heaviest concentration anticipated to disperse from west to east from Monday into Tuesday morning.
Health impacts from the air pollution are expected to be significant for certain groups, with "Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults," advised to avoid prolonged or heavy exertion by the agency, during the alert period that spans from 9 AM CDT Sunday to 9 AM CDT Tuesday.
