Poor air quality to stick around Rochester area into Wednesday
Jun. 2—ROCHESTER — Poor air quality is impacting Minnesota and is expected to stick around the southeast part of the state into Wednesday.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an air quality alert on Monday, June 2, for all of Minnesota. The alert runs until noon on Wednesday, June 4.
A band of "very heavy ground-level smoke" from Canadian wildfires moved into northwest Minnesota on Monday morning behind a cold front. This smoke will continue to follow behind the cold front as it moves southeast. The smoke is expected to reach southeast Minnesota by early Tuesday morning, according to the MPCA.
Smoke will clear northwest Minnesota early Tuesday morning and air quality will begin to improve from northwest to southeast from Tuesday through Wednesday morning, the MPCA said.
"Fine particle levels are expected to reach the orange air quality index (AQI) category, a level considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, across southwest and southeast Minnesota," the MPCA said. The area includes Rochester, Winona, Marshall and Worthington. "In the orange area, sensitive groups should limit prolonged or heavy exertion and time spent outdoors."
The highest air quality index color is maroon, which is considered hazardous.
"In areas where air quality is in the maroon AQI category due to wildfires, the sky will look smoky. The air will seem hazy or smoky and you won't be able to see long distances. The air will smell strongly of smoke," the MPCA said, adding that the air quality will be hazardous for everyone in the area.
For the orange level, the air quality most impacts people in sensitive groups (people who have asthma, heart disease, high blood pressure or diabetes, as well as those who are pregnant, or are children and older adults). The sky may look hazy and residents may smell smoke even when wildfires are far away.
The MPCA notes that pollution may "aggravate heart and lung disease as well as cardiovascular and respiratory conditions. Symptoms may include chest pain, shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and fatigue."
People in sensitive groups should reduce their outdoor physical activities, take more breaks or do less intense activities to reduce their exposure, the MPCA said.
"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," the MPCA said.
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