MANKATO — Smoke from Canadian wildfires has prompted an air quality alert for southern Minnesota and much of the rest of the state through Thursday.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency also issued an alert for east central and northeast Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro.
Smoke from wildfires in Ontario and Quebec moved into eastern and southern Minnesota late Monday and ground-level smoke persisted through early Tuesday morning.
Smoke is expected to persist across southern and east-central Minnesota on Wednesday. A cold front is to move across the state Wednesday afternoon and bring cleaner air from the west. Air quality should improve statewide by midnight Thursday.
Fine particle levels are expected to reach the orange air quality index category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Sensitive groups should limit prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors.