Blizzard warnings in Northwest Minnesota, winter weather advisories across the state

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The air quality varies quite a bit across Minnesota this morning. Smoke from Canadian wildfires is making our air unhealthy for sensitive groups in many areas and unhealthy for all groups in some areas.

At 8 a.m., air quality was in the moderate (yellow) category in much of north-central and northeastern Minnesota, but in the unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange) category for much of central Minnesota and in most of the Twin Cities metro area plus south-central Minnesota. Air quality at 8 a.m. was in the unhealthy (red) category in and near the Red River Valley of northwestern Minnesota and in a swath from west-central and southwestern Minnesota eastward to the far western part of the Twin Cities metro area.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency posts air quality information 

Air quality will vary from hour to hour but is generally expected to improve in many areas later Saturday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s High Resolution Rapid-Refresh smoke model forecast shows the potential location of the highest smoke concentrations (orange shades) at noon today:

Those highest concentrations of smoke shift southward a bit by 6 p.m., but still cover most of the southern third of Minnesota:

An air quality alert continues until 3 p.m. Saturday for most of Minnesota and the bulk of the Twin Cities area. The air quality alert continues until noon Sunday for Scott and Dakota county of the south metro and for southeastern Minnesota and for portions of Minnesota that are south of the Minnesota River. 

Smoke from Canadian wildfires is making our air unhealthy for sensitive groups, including people with asthma or COPD. 

Here are details of the Minnesota air quality alert, from the MPCA:

Orange air quality: Unhealthy for sensitive groups

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued an air quality advisory for all of Wisconsin that continues from today to noon on Sunday. Here are the details:

An isolated shower is possible in northern Minnesota this morning. 

A few very scattered showers and an isolated t-storm could develop later Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening in the northern third of Minnesota and in western Wisconsin. There appears to be just an isolated shower/thunderstorm chance elsewhere in Minnesota later this afternoon and this evening. 

Highs will be in the 70s today across roughly the northern third of Minnesota and in northwestern Wisconsin, with mainly 80s elsewhere:

A few spots in far northeastern Minnesota might only see the upper 60s.  Twin Cities metro area highs will be close to our average July 15 high of 84 degrees.

A new Updraft will be posted around 11:15 a.m. and it will include a look at Sunday and the week ahead.

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

Canadian wildfire smoke is lingering over much of Minnesota today. We have an update on air quality alerts for Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Air quality alert update; a smoky Saturday in many areas

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