Smoke from Canadian wildfires to move through Minnesota Friday
A round of smoke will roll through Minnesota on Friday after several wildfires developed in Canada.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says the fires developed in eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba on Thursday afternoon.
The smoke from the wildfires entered northwestern Minnesota early Friday morning and will continue to push south throughout the day, behind a cold front. It'll make its way to the Brainerd area by 1 p.m. and to the metro by 7 p.m., the agency says. By 1 a.m. Saturday, it will have moved south through Rochester, slowly dissipating along the way.
Because the smoke will only last a few hours, the pollution control agency says they won't issue an air quality alert.
In its latest air quality forecast, the agency anticipates elevated wildfire activity in Canada and a slightly above average wildfire season in Minnesota. That could lead to 12 to 16 days of wildfire smoke impacts throughout the summer.
Friday will be sunny and warm in the Twin Cities, with highs in the 80s. After some possible showers in the evening, Saturday is expected to be slightly cooler.