Smoke from northern Minnesota wildfires could drift across the Great Lakes and the Northeast this week, bringing dangerous levels of air pollution to major cities.
By Andrea Thompson edited by Claire Cameron
Air quality forecasts for 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 16 as well as the afternoon of July 14.
NOAA
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Wildfires in Minnesota are spewing dangerous smoke into the air that could soon pose a major air pollution threat to millions of people living in major U.S. cities such as Detroit, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Philadelphia and New York.
Currently, smoke is relatively high in the atmosphere. But a forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration suggests that could soon change: the area of high pressure that causes yet another heated dome over the central United States causes a clockwise airflow that will push this smoke toward the ground and southeast over the next few days. People in its path could face unhealthy or even dangerous levels of pollution from PM2.5, small dangerous particles in smoke that can be inhaled deep into the lungs. For context, red on the color-coded Air Quality Index indicates “unhealthy,” while brown indicates “hazardous.”
Learn more: How to use the Air Quality Index
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The exact magnitude of pollution levels and the duration of poor conditions are still somewhat uncertain: “Predicting wildfire smoke is HARD, and model predictions are often wildly off – whether high or low,” meteorologist Jeff Masters wrote in a Bluesky article. “The models are in their infancy and need to take into account meteorology, fire behavior and atmospheric chemistry. »
Smoke could also make for a hazy orange skybecause the particles tend to scatter blue light but allow orange and red wavelengths to pass through.
Fires in Minnesota are unusual at this time of year, which is typically a wet one: Fire season typically occurs in the spring or fall. But drought and unusually hot weather have left the vegetation parched, making it ready to burn at the slightest spark. Some of those sparks came from lightning that crossed the Boundary Waters Canoe Wilderness and Superior National Forest last week. Constant winds fanned the flames. Parts of those parks were closed to visitors, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz declared a state of emergency to allow the National Guard and other resources to help fight the fires.
Smoke from the fires could periodically pose an air pollution problem over the next 10 days, Masters notes. The best way to protect yourself from smoke is to limit the time spent outdoors, wear an N95 mask when you must be outdoors and when air pollution is high, keep doors and windows closed and well sealed, and run air purifiers indoors.
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