Another wintry storm Friday

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Minnesota’s trademark blue September skies are back.

The mid and upper air trajectory has shifted more into the northwest. The change is enough to blow the thickest smoke plumes from the massive western wildfires southwest of Minnesota.

NOAA’s GOES-16 visible satellite loop shows thicker smoke smudges over the Dakotas and Nebraska Friday afternoon. Clearer skies and less smoke is visible over Minnesota.

The upper airflow should keep most of the smoke at bay again Saturday. A slightly thicker smoke layer may edge into southwest Minnesota Saturday. 

In southwest Minnesota you may notice a white-tinted sky during the day, with a more vivid reddish sunset Saturday night.

Why is the sky white during the day and reddish at sunset when we see it through an elevated smoke layer? 

It’s due to the light scattering properties of smoke particles. Smoke is very efficient at scattering out the blue light wavelengths. As a result, redder tones make it through to our eyes here at ground level.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

The mid and upper air trajectory has shifted more into the northwest. The change is enough to blow the thickest smoke plumes from the massive western wildfires southwest of Minnesota.


Blue sky at the Weather Lab Friday afternoon

Paul Huttner/MPR News

NOAA/College of Dupage Weather Lab

NOAA HRRR model vertically integrated smoke product 

NOAA 

Huttner, Paul

How smoke and dust particles scatter sunlight

Blue skies return: Upper wind trajectory blowing less smoke toward Minnesota

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