Prompts winter weather advisories as cold air moves in Friday night

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A shift in wind direction is pushing thinning wildfire smoke plumes over Minnesota Wednesday. 

Tuesday’s northerly winds pushed in what appears to be the highest concentration of smoke particulates on record across Minnesota. But wind direction shifted into the southeast Wednesday across Minnesota. Here’s the wind flow forecast for 5 p.m. Wednesday afternoon. 

Our southerly wind flow continues into Thursday. The southerly wind direction will continue to thin wildfire smoke across Minnesota. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s HRRR vertically integrated smoke product shows the smoke layer thinning across Minnesota Wednesday night into Thursday.  

 has improved significantly since Tuesday’s invasion of thick smoke from the north produced what is 

likely the highest particulate matter readings on record

Most reporting stations report the particulate matter in the good to moderate range as of Wednesday afternoon, with some higher readings in the Red River Valley. 

Forecasts favor better air quality readings the next few days across Minnesota. 

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Paul Huttner

Author

Tuesday’s northerly winds pushed in what appears to be the highest concentration of smoke particulates on record across Minnesota. But wind direction shifted into the southeast Wednesday across Minnesota.

Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

Tim Evans

NOAA

NOAA HRRR model vertically integrated smoke product 

Wildfire smoke thinning, air quality improving

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