Heavy snow and difficult travel expected again, heaviest snow in southern Minnesota

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. 

Turn Up Your Support

The air quality index reading of 221 in Grand Portage (map below) along Minnesota North Shore is higher than the 216 reading for Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Wednesday. 

The Twin Cities are listed as the third most polluted major city in the world Thursday morning, according to 

What to know about air quality alerts

Doctor explains poor air quality health effects from wildfires

A widespread plume of Canadian wildfire smoke has sagged southward into Minnesota once again. This time the plume is thicker and producing unhealthy air quality for parts of Minnesota and will last most of this week. 

 covers all of Minnesota until 5 p.m. Saturday. This alert ties the longest air quality alert on record (Greenwood Fire 2021 in St. Louis County) according to 

NOAA’s HRRR smoke output shows how smoke of varying intensity will drift across Minnesota the next couple days. The forecast model loop below runs between 1 p.m. Wednesday and 7 a.m. Friday.

Southerly winds should help improve air quality from south to north starting Friday into Saturday. People should limit outdoor activity this week. It looks like the worst air quality will be through Thursday into Friday but may gradually improve for weekend events like the 

Great River Energy – Mesabi Trail Tour bike event

Correction (July 31, 2025): An earlier version of this story misspelled Matt Taraldsen's name. The story has been updated.

Weather and Climate News

Updraft® - Minnesota Weather News

Disasters

Minnesota Wildfires

Paul Huttner

Author

A widespread heavy smoke event is underway for Minnesota. Air quality will be unhealthy for most of Minnesota this week.

Worst air quality in the world for parts of Minnesota this week

Go Deeper.

Like this?