Air-Quality Alerts Issued for Midwest and Northeast Due to Wildfire Smoke from Canada and Minnesota

Air-quality alerts were issued Tuesday for parts of the Midwest and Northeast due to smoke from wildfires in Canada and northern Minnesota. Minnesota officials issued an air quality alert from Tuesday through Friday for areas including the Twin Cities metro area, Alexandria and Two Harbors.

Very heavy smoke was expected across northeastern Minnesota as the fires spread. Air quality levels in Two Harbors, the Tribal Nation of Grand Portage and other regions in northeast Minnesota were expected to reach hazardous levels. The wildfires in northern Minnesota prompted evacuation orders Tuesday for some residents.

Officials in Michigan and Wisconsin warned residents Tuesday about air quality issues that could last for days. The entire state of Michigan was under an air quality alert on Wednesday due to particulate pollution from Canadian wildfire smoke. Multiple counties in western and central New York were under an air quality advisory Wednesday until midnight.

By Wednesday afternoon intense smoke was forecast to spread into the East Coast and Midwest, including parts of the New England coast, northern Pennsylvania, Detroit and Milwaukee. A large plume of smoke poured into the Boston area Tuesday, turning skies from milky white to brown and yellow. Residents in parts of Maine reported a yellowish and brownish color in the sky.

The National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, stated on social media Tuesday that there is plenty of smoke upstream, so expect periods of hazy skies over the next day before the cold front pushes through. , by midday Thursday. Dan Westervelt, associate professor at Columbia University’s Climate School, stated that severe drought conditions combined with heat in Canada and the U.S.

Have created a perfect storm for really dry conditions to provide a lot of fuel for these wildfires to burn. Tyler Hasenstein, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Chanhassen, Minnesota, stated that people should stay indoors as much as possible to avoid extreme heat, especially as smoke moves in.