Air Quality Warnings Issued in North Dakota and Minnesota

GRAND FORKS, ND (trfnews.i234.me & trfnews.i234.me) Canadian wildfires continue to cause air quality problems across our region.
a band of very heavy ground level smoke from wildfires in Northern Alberta and Saskatchewan is currently moving Southeast and stretches from Southern Manitoba to eastern Montana and a strong cold front pushed it into uh into Northwest Minnesota reached Northwest Minnesota around 10 p.m last night the smoke May linger across Minnesota beyond the expiration time of this air quality alert and may be needed to be extended the fine particle levels are expected to reach the red air quality index which is a level considered unhealthy for everyone across Northwest Minnesota that includes Minnesota or probably Morehead East Grand Forks Roseau Bemidji Crookston and the Red Lake tribal nation in the red area prolonged or everyone should avoid prolonged time Outdoors a sensitive groups such as people with lung disease including asthma heart disease children and older adults should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and the general public should limit prolonged or heavy exertion as well so just be careful out there again as of uh 604 this morning there’s not a monitor right in uh right in our area here in Crookston or even Grand Forks but the Red Lake lower Red Lake their aqi is at 161 which is again in the Red Devils Lake to the West 161 but it looks like that is uh going down according to the the airnow.gov with our fire and smoke app our map rather so uh Fargo their air quality is very unhealthy that’s 255 so they’re having some some worse conditions down there and then uh Detroit Lakes to the southeast uh there’s that 192 but that is trending um in the wrong direction that’s that’s getting worse down there so uh Roseau uh just out well more so more Old Lake of the Woods uh they’re at 232 their air quality is in the very unhealthy um categories as well so again not great uh air quality around our area so if you are outside limit prolonged activities and heavy exertion due to the smoke and the fine particle pollution in the in the air due to those oh once again those wildfires from from Canada is the the culprits for uh the poor air conditions so well keep an eye on that as the day goes on and we’ll see if that air quality alert gets extended or not um maybe that chance of rain that we’re getting today could possibly um maybe help with that