(KNSI) – An air quality alert has been extended for a second time by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency due to heavy smoke from Canadian wildfires and will continue through noon on Monday.
Health officials are advising all Minnesotans to reduce outdoor physical activities and avoid intense outdoor exercise during the alert period.
High-pressure weather will sit over the region through Friday evening, creating light winds that trap smoke in the air. This means widespread unhealthy air quality (red AQI levels) will continue across most of the state through tonight and Saturday.
Winds will pick up from the south over the weekend as the high-pressure system moves east. Smoke should start clearing on Saturday, but it will be gradual. The smoke may drift as far south as Tennessee and Missouri. Air quality will improve to orange levels (unhealthy for sensitive groups) but could stay that way through Sunday and into Monday. Most alert-level smoke should move back into Canada by late Monday. Ash and soot will finally be pushed back into Canada early next week.
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