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Air quality alert issued due to wildfire smoke for Monday, June 2 through Wednesday, June 4 for all of Minnesota
Air quality is expected to reach maroon in Northwest Minnesota, which is hazardous everyone.
Air quality is expected to reach the maroon AQI category in northwest Minnesota, which is hazardous for everyone.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for all of Minnesota. The alert runs until noon on Wednesday, June 4. The affected area includes all of Minnesota and the tribal nations of Upper Sioux, Mille Lacs, Prairie Island, Leech Lake, Red Lake, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac.
A band of very heavy ground-level smoke from Canadian wildfires has moved into northwest Minnesota Monday morning behind a cold front. This smoke will continue to follow behind the cold front as it moves southeast, and the smoke will impact northwest and north central Minnesota on Monday. The smoke will reach central and northeast Minnesota on Monday evening and southeast Minnesota early Tuesday morning.
Precipitation is expected across northern and central Minnesota Monday afternoon and evening but may not help improve air quality much. Smoke will clear northwest Minnesota early Tuesday morning and air quality will begin to improve from northwest to southeast from Tuesday through Wednesday morning. The most significant impacts on air quality are expected to occur across northwest and north central Minnesota.
Fine particle levels are expected to reach the maroon air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered hazardous for everyone, across northwest Minnesota. This area includes East Grand Forks, Roseau, and the tribal nation of Red Lake. In the maroon area, everyone should avoid any outdoor activity and stay indoors.
Fine particle levels are expected to reach the purple air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered very unhealthy for everyone, across northwest and north central Minnesota. This area includes Brainerd, Bemidji, Moorhead, International Falls, and the tribal nations of Mille Lacs, Leech Lake, and Red Lake. In the purple area, everyone should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and stay indoors.
Fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for everyone, across central and northeast Minnesota. This area includes the Twin Cities metro, Alexandria, Albert Lea, Hinckley, St. Cloud, Ortonville, Mankato, Two Harbors, Hibbing, Ely, Duluth, and the tribal nations of Upper Sioux, Prairie Island, Mille Lacs, Grand Portage, and Fond du Lac. In the red area, sensitive groups should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and limit time spent outdoors. Everyone should limit prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors.
Fine particle levels are expected to reach the orange air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, across southwest and southeast Minnesota. This area includes Marshall, Worthington, Rochester, and Winona. In the orange area, sensitive groups should limit prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors.
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What this alert means
Air moves long distances and carries pollutants. During air quality alerts due to wildfires, the air is mixed with harmful smoke. Wildfire smoke spreads or lingers depending on the size of the fires, the wind, and the weather.
The air quality index (AQI) is color-coded. Air quality alerts are issued when the AQI is forecast to reach an unhealthy level, which includes forecasts in the orange, red, purple, and maroon categories. For a full description of each air quality category, visit airnow.gov.
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Maroon air quality: Hazardous
Sights and smells: In areas where air quality is in the maroon AQI category due to wildfires, the sky will look smoky. The air will seem hazy or smoky and you won’t be able to see long distances. The air will smell strongly of smoke.
Health effects: This air is hazardous for everyone, and everyone will be affected. Most people will have irritated eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. Anyone could experience serious heart and lung effects such as asthma attack, heart attack, or stroke.
What to do: Avoid physical activity outdoors. Sensitive groups should stay indoors, keep activity levels low, and keep indoor air as clean as possible.
Purple air quality: Very unhealthy
Sights and smells: In areas where air quality is in the purple AQI category due to wildfires, the sky will look smoky. The air will seem hazy or smoky and you won’t be able to see long distances. The air will smell strongly of smoke.
Health effects: This air is very unhealthy for everyone. Anyone could experience serious heart and lung effects such as asthma attack, heart attack, or stroke.
What to do: Avoid prolonged or vigorous outdoor activity. Consider rescheduling sports and other outdoor events or moving them inside. Sensitive individuals should avoid all outdoor physical activity.
Red air quality: Unhealthy
Sights and smells: In areas where air quality is in the red AQI category due to wildfires, the sky may look smoky. The air will look hazy and you won’t be able to see long distances. You may smell smoke.
Health effects: This air is unhealthy for everyone. Anyone may begin to experience symptoms such as irritated eyes, nose, and throat, coughing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath. Sensitive or more exposed individuals may experience more serious health effects, including worsening of existing heart or lung disease and respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, possibly leading to an asthma attack, heart attack, or stroke.
What to do: Reduce outdoor physical activities, take more breaks, and avoid intense activities to reduce exposure. Sensitive and more exposed individuals should avoid prolonged or vigorous activities and consider shortening, rescheduling, or moving outdoor events inside.
Orange air quality: Unhealthy for sensitive groups
Sights and smells: In areas where air quality is in the orange AQI category due to wildfires, the sky may look hazy and residents may smell smoke even when wildfires are far away. In areas where air quality is in the orange AQI category due to stagnant air, the air may look hazy.
Health effects: This air is unhealthy for sensitive groups and pollution may aggravate heart and lung disease as well as cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and fatigue.
What to do: People in sensitive groups are encouraged to reduce outdoor physical activities, take more breaks, or do less intense activities to reduce their exposure. People with asthma should follow their asthma action plan and keep their rescue inhaler nearby.
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Poor air quality impacts health. Fine particle pollution from wildfire smoke can irritate eyes, nose, and throat, and cause coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness, or fatigue.
Smoke particles are small enough that they can be breathed deeply into lungs and enter the bloodstream. This can lead to illnesses such as bronchitis or aggravate existing chronic heart and lung diseases, triggering heart palpitations, asthma attacks, heart attacks, and strokes.
Certain groups experience health effects from unhealthy air quality sooner than others, either because they are more sensitive to fine particle pollution or because they are exposed to larger amounts of it.
Sensitive groups include:
- People who have asthma or other breathing conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- People who have heart disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes
- Pregnant people
- Children and older adults
People with increased exposure include:
- People of all ages who do longer or more vigorous physical activity outdoors
- People who work outdoors, especially workers who do heavy manual labor
- People who exercise or play sports outdoors, including children
- People who don’t have air conditioning and need to keep windows open to stay cool
- People in housing not tight enough to keep unhealthy air out, or who do not have permanent shelter.
Anyone experiencing health effects related to poor air quality should contact their health care provider. Those with severe symptoms, chest pain, trouble breathing, or who fear they may be experiencing a heart attack or stroke should call 911 immediately.
Take precautions
Reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, such as outdoor burning, and use of residential wood burning devices. Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible.
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