Air quality alert until 11 p.m. Thursday
Another batch of Canadian wildfire smoke drifting into Minnesota. Alert covers most of central and southern Minnesota.
Go Deeper.
Create an account or log in to save stories.
Like this?
Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.
This is turning into the Smoky Summer of 2025.
Our latest rain wave comes with a side of Canadian wildfire smoke in Minnesota once again.
A wedge of smoke has drifted into Minnesota from the west. Air quality readings Wednesday reached the orange zone (unhealthy for sensitive groups) across parts of Minnesota including the Twin Cities Wednesday afternoon.
Here’s the detail on the latest air quality alert for Minnesota from the MPCA.
Air quality alert issued due to wildfire smoke until Thursday, June 12, for central and southern Minnesota
Air quality is expected to reach the orange AQI category in central and southern Minnesota, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for central and southern Minnesota. The alert runs until 11 p.m. on Thursday, June 12. The affected area includes the Twin Cities metro area, Brainerd, Alexandria, Albert Lea, Marshall, Worthington, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Ortonville, Mankato, Moorhead, Duluth, and the Tribal Nations of Upper Sioux, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island, Leech Lake, and Fond du Lac.
Smoke from wildfires in northwest Canada has moved into central and southern Minnesota behind a cold front. This smoke is beginning to mix to the ground and fine particle levels have climbed into the unhealthy for sensitive groups air quality index (AQI) category across central and southern Minnesota. This smoke will linger along a frontal boundary that will stall over the southern part of the state. Rainfall is expected across this same region through Thursday and this may help reduce smoke levels in some areas. However, it's possible this smoke may linger through the end of the day on Thursday.
Fine particle levels are expected to reach the orange AQI category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, across central and southern Minnesota. This area includes the Twin Cities metro area, Brainerd, Alexandria, Albert Lea, Marshall, Worthington, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Ortonville, Mankato, Moorhead, Duluth, and the Tribal Nations of Upper Sioux, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island, Leech Lake, and Fond du Lac. In the orange area, sensitive groups should limit prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors.
Our main rain wave Thursday night into Friday should wash the thicker smoke form our air mass by Friday.
Stay tuned.
Turn Up Your Support
MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all.
