Wintry mix spreads across Minnesota

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The smoke from Canadian wildfires will remain over Minnesota this weekend and beyond. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has extended the air quality alert for Minnesota through the weekend and on into Tuesday:

Here are details of the alert, from the MPCA:

People whose health is affected by unhealthy air quality

Current Minnesota air quality readings can be found 

An air quality advisory has been issued for Wisconsin this weekend:

A guide to the various air quality categories can be found at 

The more serious air quality categories look like this:

According to the MPCA, portions of Minnesota will have air quality in the very unhealthy (purple) range at times this weekend and early next week:

Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the mid 80s Saturday afternoon. Most of Minnesota will have Saturday highs in the 80s, with 70s in the far north.

Sunday highs will be mainly in the 70s, with some lower 80s in the far south:

Sunday dew points will be in the very comfortable 40s and lower 50s:

Back to forecast highs, Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to be around 80 on Monday, followed by mid 80s Tuesday and Wednesday, then lower 80s Thursday and mid 80s on Friday.

Highs next weekend and into the following week may be a bit above average. The NWS Climate Prediction Center is showing a tendency for above-normal temps from August 7 through August 13:

We’re in a drought, and we keep searching for rain opportunities. The Twin Cities metro area and west-central Wisconsin could see a stray shower this morning/midday. There will be a chance of spotty showers and an isolated thunderstorm in parts of southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin this Saturday afternoon/early evening.

Sunday looks dry in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Much of the coming week will be rain-free in the Twin Cities, with a shower/t-storm chance late Thursday and also on Friday.

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Ron Trenda

Author

An air quality alert covers all of Minnesota this weekend, due to smoke from Canadian wildfires. We have details of the smoky conditions, plus a look at temps this weekend and into next week.

Smoke from wildfires causes thick haze in the sky

Smoky weekend: Air quality alert continues until Tuesday afternoon

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