Dry conditions in Minnesota increase the risk of wildfires during the Fourth of July holiday, urging caution with campfires and fireworks, as they are the primary cause of wildfires and alternative activities without flames should be considered.
In Madison, Wis., the air quality was measured at 242 Thursday morning — a “very unhealthy“ purple alert rating that many other communities shared, particularly in the Midwest.
Amtrak says the Coast Starlight train was carrying 198 passengers and 13 crew when it rammed into a public works truck on a raised gravel crossing. The truck’s driver was taken to a trauma center.
Air quality will continue to improve Thursday with a shift in the winds. Highs will be well into the 80s with isolated late afternoon thunder possible, especially north.
With a record-high 23 air quality alerts so far this year in Minnesota, questions of how to safely participate in valued outdoor summer activities linger — along with the smoke.
The news came hours after the announcement that debris from the Titan, collected from the seafloor more than 12,000 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic, had arrived in Newfoundland.
The air quality alert is in effect for most of the lower half of the state through midnight. Everyone in southern Minnesota is advised to limit time outdoors and exercise.
Along with Minnesota, Chicago saw its air quality plummet, while other cities including Detroit, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh were experiencing unhealthy air quality levels.
Air quality will remain an issue as smoke lingers in eastern and southern Minnesota. An air quality alert continues essentially through midnight Wednesday.
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