A break from the smoke in some areas Sunday; temps rebound this week

How dry was July?

Canadian wildfire smoke continues to blanket parts of Minnesota.

The 9 a.m. Sunday air quality map from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency showed moderate air quality in the Twin Cities metro area and parts of northern Minnesota, with good air quality in northeastern Minnesota. The remainder of Minnesota was mainly in the unhealthy for sensitive groups air quality category. Air quality conditions in northeastern Minnesota and the Twin Cities metro area could be fairly good through much of the afternoon, with the smoke moving back in during Sunday evening and overnight Sunday night.

The air quality alert that was issued by the MPCA on Friday continues for Minnesota through Sunday and on into Tuesday:

Air quality alert map
An air quality alert is in effect for all of Minnesota through Tuesday, Aug. 3.
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

The MPCA expects the air quality in many areas to fluctuate between the “unhealthy “ category and the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category over the next couple of days.

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Here are details about the air quality alert, from the MPCA:

People whose health is affected by unhealthy air quality

People who are more likely to be affected when fine particle pollution reaches an unhealthy level include:

  • Those with asthma or other breathing conditions, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

  • People who have heart disease or high blood pressure

  • Children and older adults

  • Those doing heavy, physical activity outdoors, such playing sports or working, especially for extended periods

Health effects

Air pollution can aggravate heart and cardiovascular disease as well as lung diseases like asthma and COPD. When the air quality is unhealthy, people with these conditions may experience symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, or fatigue. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, use your inhalers as directed and contact your health care provider.

Take precautions

  • Take it easy and listen to your body.

  • Limit, change, or postpone your physical activity.

  • If possible, stay away from local sources of air pollution like busy roads and wood fires.

  • If you have asthma, or other breathing conditions like COPD, make sure you have your relief/rescue inhaler with you.

  • People with asthma should review and follow guidance in their written asthma action plan. Make an appointment to see your health provider if you don’t have an asthma action plan.

Current Minnesota air quality readings can be found here.

An air quality advisory has been issued for Wisconsin this weekend:

Air Quality Advisory Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Madison WI Relayed by National Weather Service Twin Cities/Chanhassen MN 730 PM CDT Fri Jul 30 2021 ...AIR QUALITY ADVISORY ISSUED FOR ALL WISCONSIN COUNTIES... The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued an Air Quality Advisory for Particle Pollution which will remain in effect until 12:00 PM CDT Sunday, August 1. This advisory affects people in all Wisconsin counties. Smoke from wildfire activity in Canada currently located in Minnesota will move into Wisconsin overnight Friday into Saturday morning. This smoke plume is expected to mostly impact the northern half of the state. A secondary smoke plume will then transport behind a cold front which is expected to move north to south across the state Saturday afternoon into early Sunday morning. Elevated fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations are anticipated to result in air quality index (AQI) values in the UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS level over this period. Sensitive groups include children, elderly people, individuals with respiratory and cardiac problems, and anyone engaged in strenuous outdoor activities for a prolonged period of time. For more information on current air quality, please see: https://airquality.wi.gov

What the categories mean

A guide to the various air quality categories can be found at airnow.gov:

rt0731aqual1
Air quality guide
airnow.gov

The more serious air quality categories look like this:

rt0731aqual2
Air quality guide
airnow.gov

Temperature trends

Our average Twin Cities high temp is 83 degrees this time of year. Some spots in the metro area could top 80 this Sunday. Sunday highs will be in the 70s across much of Minnesota and western Wisconsin, with some lower 80s in southern Minnesota.

Monday highs reach the lower 80s in many areas:

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Monday forecast highs
National Weather Service

 Monday dew points will be in the comfortable lower 50s:

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Monday 1 p.m. forecast dew points
National Weather Service

Back to high temps, Twin Cities metro area highs are projected to reach the mid 80s Tuesday, followed by upper 80s Wednesday and Thursday and around 90 on Friday.

Those above normal highs later this week could linger through next weekend and the start of the following week; the NWS Climate Prediction Center shows above-normal temps in Minnesota and Wisconsin from August 6 through August 10:

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Temperature outlook August 6 through August 10
NWS Climate Prediction Center

How dry was July?

The official July rainfall total at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport was just 87/100ths of an inch. July 2021 was the eighth-driest July in Twin Cities weather records:

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July 2021 was 8th driest in Twin Cities record records
Minnesota State Climatology Office/Minnesota DNR

I added the 2021 data into the graphic.

The drought continues in the Twin Cities and most of Minnesota.

Programming note

You can hear my live weather updates on MPR News at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 4:39 p.m. each Saturday and Sunday.