The entire state of Minnesota is under an air quality alert for the next few days, coinciding with a stretch of cooler, quieter weather.

The alert will last through 5 p.m. on Saturday as wildfire smoke from Canada blows into the state. 

The air quality level will fluctuate over the next three days, and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has the latest AQI forecasts on its website.

This is one of the longest air quality alerts on record, tying with those issued for St. Louis County during the Greenwood fire in 2021, according to the agency.

Ryan Lueck, an air quality forecaster with the agency, says this marks 16 air quality alerts so far this year. For perspective, the record of 21 was set in 2023, so Minnesota's on pace to break that record.

Lueck says this is all due to drought in central and western Canada that developed over the spring. With comfortable temperatures in the forecast the next few days, could there be breaks of good air toward the weekend? Lueck doubts it.

"There may be times when we do fluctuate a bit where the air quality relatively gets better, and then relatively gets worse," Lueck said. "But really we have high pressure that's moving in and that high pressure is going to keep this smoky air mass in place without much of a change."

Highs will be in the 70s and lower 80s through early next week, with reduced humidity as well. 

The metro's next rain chance comes Sunday into Monday as warmer, more humid air builds back in ahead of a new system.