Smoky skies out there to start the week

The wildfires continue to rage across western North America today, with hundreds of fires burning from northern California up into northern Canada.

These fires are unlikely to go away anytime soon, and as a result, the smoke produced by these fires will continue to haze up the sky across much of the Upper Midwest the next few days.

Air quality across southern Minnesota and northern Iowa remains in the healthy range this morning, and is expected to remain in the healthy to moderate range the next few days. There will not be many atmosphere mechanisms to bring the dense smoke to the surface, so we are in luck there!

Smoky skies will be overhead when clouds clear out and we see sunshine return today. Same goes for Tuesday and Wednesday. Again, air quality won’t be terribly unhealthy through Wednesday, but you’ll definitely notice the smoke overhead in the form of a hazy sky.

For those who are more sensitive to pollutants, the air quality may dip into the moderate range at times today through Wednesday. As a result, you may experience minor symptoms of irritation. Just something to keep in mind if heading out the door the next few days.