Air quality alert until noon Sunday for the southern half of Minnesota and all of Wisc.

Updated at 4:40 p.m.

Smoke from Canadian wildfires will linger into Saturday night and early Sunday in many areas.

Air quality has been in the unhealthy (red) category for much of Saturday afternoon in sections of central and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area. Some locations have been in the unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange) category.

Here’s a look at air quality measurements (which are typically updated hourly) from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency:

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Air quality alert

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency continues an air quality alert until 6 p.m. this Saturday from Crow Wing County (including Brainerd) to Pine County (including Hinckley), for air quality in the unhealthy for sensitive groups category.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency continues an air quality alert until noon Sunday for roughly the southern half of Minnesota. The alert is for air in the unhealthy (red) category in most of the southern half of Minnesota and in the unhealthy for sensitive groups (orange) category in parts of central Minnesota:

Here are details of the air quality alert:

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has extended an air quality alert for southern Minn. due to wildfire smoke. The alert is effective though noon Sunday, July 16. The affected area includes the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Marshall, Rochester, and Mankato as well as the tribal nations of Prairie Island and Mille Lacs.

Fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for everyone, across southern Minn. In the red area, the general public should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion and sensitive groups should limit time spent outdoors.

Smoke from wildfires in Alberta and British Columbia will continue to move slowly south Saturday. The smoke should move out of Minn. by Sunday afternoon.

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.

Red air quality: Unhealthy for everyone

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.

Who’s most at risk

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. Keep windows closed to ensure outside smoke does not enter you home.

Shower/thunderstorm chances

A few very scattered showers and an isolated thunderstorm could develop Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening in the northern half of Minnesota and in western Wisconsin. There appears to be just an isolated shower/thunderstorm chance elsewhere in Minnesota late Saturday afternoon and Saturday evening.

The northern half of Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin could see a few scattered showers and thunderstorms Sunday afternoon and evening. An isolated shower or thunderstorm is possible elsewhere in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin late Sunday afternoon and Sunday evening.

You can hear updated weather information for Minnesota and western Wisconsin on the MPR News network. You can find the latest radar here.

You can also check these National Weather Service sites for updated weather info: Twin Cities, Duluth, La Crosse, Wis., Sioux Falls, S.D., and Grand Forks, N.D.

Temperature trends

Sunday highs will be in the 60s in roughly the northern third of Minnesota, with mainly 70s elsewhere:

A few spots in southern Minnesota could touch 80 degrees.

Monday highs will be mainly in the 70s:

There will be some 60s in northeastern Minnesota.

Twin Cities area highs are projected to reach the upper 70s on Monday, followed by lower 80s Tuesday then upper 80s Wednesday and mid-80s on Thursday and Friday.

There will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms on Wednesday.

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.