Photos: Smoky skies in Minnesota

Smoky skies in Minnesota
Haze and smoke from western wildfires obscures the downtown Minneapolis skyline on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.
Evan Frost | MPR News

An air quality alert remains in effect for most of Minnesota through noon Sunday.

The alert is the result of smoke from Canadian wildfires drifting across the region. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency said that smoke is increasing the amount of fine particles in the air to unhealthy levels for sensitive groups.

Smoky skies in Minnesota
Haze and smoke from western wildfires fills the air over downtown Minneapolis on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.
Evan Frost | MPR News

Sensitive groups include people who have asthma or other breathing conditions; people with heart disease or high blood pressure; children and the elderly; and people of all ages who are taking part in extended, heavy physical activity outdoors.

The alert extends from the Twin Cities, Rochester and Mankato north to Duluth, St. Cloud, Brainerd, Bemidji and Moorhead. The only part of the state not included in the alert is far southwestern Minnesota.

Smoky sunrise
The sun - tinted pink-orange by smoky haze in the sky - rises above the Mississippi River as seen from South St. Paul, Minn., at dawn on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018.
Andrew Krueger | MPR News

The MPCA said the smoke plume is from fires in British Columbia, Alberta and northwestern Ontario. The smoky haze was visible across much of the state on Saturday, reducing visibilities and contributing to a bright orange-pink sunrise.

An expected shift in the wind on Sunday should improve the air quality.

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