First-ever air pollution alert to cover the entire state The Canadian wildfire smoke that blanketed Pipestone County with haze over the weekend triggered Minnesota’s first-ever statewide air quality alert. “This is the first time this has ever happened because of the extent of the wildfire smoke,” said Daniel Dix, air quality meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), by phone on Monday. The MPCA issued the alert on Friday afternoon Aug. 10 into Sunday, Aug. 12. On the ground Friday in Pipestone the air smelled like wood smoke and the sun was blotted by a haze. Over the weekend, the fine particles in the air caused by the smoke created brilliant orange sunrises and sunsets. Though it was the first statewide alert, it wasn’t the most significant wildfire-caused air pollution event the state has experienced, Dix said. Those happened in 2015 and 2016, when the AQI, or Air Quality Index, shot above 200. The highest the AQI got over the weekend, Dix said, was in the 115-125 range. “So it was bad, but it wasn’t historically super bad,” Dix said. The MPCA has 11 AQI monitor locations, one of those in Marshall, and issues alerts when current or forecasted air quality conditions are expected to contribute to adverse health effects for populations sensitive to air pollution: the elderly, children and people with preexisting lung or heart disease. The air is unhealthy for sensitive groups with an index between 101-150. Air quality above 150 is considered unhealthy, or very unhealthy, for everyone. The latest incident was not caused by the California fires, Dix said, but traveled from western British Columbia. “There are so many fires out in British Columbia we couldn’t narrow down one,”Dix said. “Plumes just gather up and the atmosphere just transports them.” In this case, the smoke traveled some 1,500 miles on an easterly wind into Minnesota. By Sunday afternoon, southerly winds were pushing north from southwest Minnesota to usher the smoke up and away. While that was happening, the air quality was listed as “good” in the southwest corner of Minnesota, including Pipestone County, while it remained in the moderate range for fine particles for most of the rest of the state. Dix said by Wednesday or Thursday, the atmosphere should be clear of smoke. But given that there’s still a lot of smoke in Canada, “we’ll keep an eye on it for the next two months.” The United States and Canada have experienced an increase not only in the number of wildfires, but the intensity, Dix said. Record hot weather and practices that put out fires and leave accumulated timber and brush on forest floors have created perfect conditions for megafires: “bigger, hotter, more intense,” Dix said. “That’s really what we’re dealing with and there’s no forseeable change in the future.” The AQI was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide a simple, uniform way to report daily air quality conditions. Minnesota AQI numbers are determined by hourly measurements of five pollutants that are good indicators of daily air quality: fine particles, ground-level ozone, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. The AQI does not account for temperature or pollen levels, which may increase sensitivity to air pollutants.<doc-sep>There is no anticipated change in weather for the Okanagan-Shuswap this week Bad news for B.C. residents who are suffering the impacts of smoke filled skies, Environment Canada is forecasting no change in the weather for the next week. Matt McDonald with Environment Canada says the Okanagan-Shuswap can expect more of the same when it comes to hazy views and poor air quality. “It’s like the weather is stuck on repeat,” he said. “Our online forecast is misleading as we can only forecast smoky skies for today and tomorrow and then it appears to be clear on Friday, but that isn’t the case. It’s not going to clear up.” RELATED: Okanagan air quality at a high health risk A ridge of high pressure over the province is acting like a cap preventing any winds from occurring and to allow for a change in the weather pattern. If the stagnant weather continues, McDonald explained that the preliminary findings suggest this August could be the driest and hottest on record for B.C. However we still have two weeks in August to go and McDonald stresses these findings could change. The average temperature in August for the Central Okanagan is typically 19 C, but this month we are on track to hit an average temperature of 23.1 C. Penticton has received no rain during the month of August, according to McDonald. The average precipitation for August in Penticton is 28.3 millimetres. Kelowna is on track for this August to be the fifth driest on record as the city has only received about 12 per cent of the average precipitation for the month. While Vernon is set to be marked the tenth driest on record, as the city has received about 6 mm of precipitation this month. Thanks to a storm system last weekend in the Shuswap, the region is half way to the normal amount of precipitation for August. If it’s possible to see through the smoke to some good news, it’s that the day time temperatures are much cooler than the start of the month. RELATED: Heat wave sparks North Okanagan wildfire growth “Smoke blocks the solar radiation, which is keeping things cooler due to this smoke,” said McDonald. “We will see highs of 23 to 27 C not above 30 C.” The smoke is also helping to trap humidity in the region, which at 40 to 60 per cent assists fire crews. Environment Canada is forecasting a possible weather disturbance for Friday evening in the southern half of B.C., near Osoyoos and Keremeos. “We could see the odd dry lightning strike in the area as a system is moving over Washington and Idaho. But it will be nothing like last weekend where dry lightning started several fires,” explained McDonald. So for now, prepare to get even more comfortable with the Smokanagan as this resilient ridge of high pressure resists moving. @Jen_zee jen.zielinski@bpdigital.ca Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.<doc-sep>The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued a statewide air quality alert as smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to spread into the region. The smoke, which is originating in western Canada, was expected to produce air quality indices (AQIs) in the orange category across northern Minnesota on Friday evening, making air quality unhealthy for sensitive groups. Orange AQIs were also expected across far western Minnesota on Friday evening as smoke continues to sit over that region, the MPCA reported. Meanwhile, the smoke was expected to arrive in the upper levels of the atmosphere Friday afternoon and evening across southern parts of Minnesota. However, the smoke is not expected to affect air quality in St. Cloud, the Twin Cities and Rochester until midday Saturday. The MPCA said winds from the south are expected to bring in cleaner air by Sunday afternoon.<doc-sep>Smoke from massive wildfires burning in western Canada will cause hazy skies across Minnesota Thursday and Friday. An air quality alert for portions of northwest and north-central Minnesota will expire at 10 a.m. Thursday, but conditions in those areas will still be moderately unhealthy for at-risk individuals. "Although general public is not likely to be affected at this AQI (air quality index) range, people with lung disease, older adults and children are at a greater risk from exposure to ozone, whereas persons with heart and lung disease, older adults and children are at greater risk from the presence of particles in the air." Areas shaded in orange will have the worst air quality on Thursday. "We'll be keeping an eye on the smoke to the north as it moves toward the Twin Cities into southern Minnesota Thursday afternoon," says the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. "At this point, AQIs are expected to be yellow from the Twin Cities into southern Minnesota Thursday due to the smoke with a few higher readings possible." Smoke could linger, causing hazy skies throughout Minnesota on Friday and Saturday as well.<doc-sep>
Massive wildfires in Western Canada has carried smoke all the way to the Twin Cities. MINNEAPOLIS - State pollution officials are advising Minnesotans to limit outdoor physical activity over the weekend due to smoke from fires in western Canada. This smoke has traveled at least 1,500 miles from massive wildfires in Western Canada, over an international border and across several U.S. states as the wind carries toward the east. After a brief stop in the Dakotas, a high-pressure system is now bringing some of this smoke to the entire state of Minnesota, according to Minnesota Pollution Control Agency air quality meteorologist Steve Irwin. "That's causing that sinking motion, bringing the smoke down to the ground," Irwin said. "And that's how it can get all the way from Western Canada and impact our air here in the Twin Cities." You're looking at a huge smoke cloud from massive wildfires in Western Canada. By sunset tonight, smoke from these fires will be visible in the Twin Cities, as the wind carries it 1,500 miles east. Look to your north and you may see it! @kare11 pic.twitter.com/QV1crTDQmR — Danny Spewak (@DannySpewak) August 11, 2018 The MPCA has now issued an air quality alert for the entire state of Minnesota, lasting through Sunday afternoon. Irwin said Saturday could be a particularly rough day in the Twin Cities for people with certain medical conditions, including asthma, COPD, heart disease and high blood pressure. Children and older adults could also be vulnerable. "Anyone who is going to be outside tomorrow, we just ask that you take it easy," Irwin said. "Watch for symptoms. Especially if you have asthma or something like that. Have your relief inhaler with you, have your asthma plan ready to go." To be clear, the smoke impacting Minnesota this weekend is not originating from California, where wildfires have produced stunning visual images on the nightly news. That smoke has been blocked by the terrain in the west, including the Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada, according to Irwin. The wind direction also did not carry the smoke toward Minnesota. The wind from Canada certainly did, but it won't last long. Irwin said winds will shift to the south on Sunday afternoon, meaning the air will be clear by Sunday evening and certainly by Monday. But don't get too complacent.