Extreme heat warning extended for parts of Minnesota amid wildfire, air quality concerns

Wednesday will be another dangerously hot day in Minnesota as wildfires continue to burn and air quality concerns linger. A NEXT Weather Alert will remain in place through Friday due to these concerns. 

An extreme heat warning for a large swath of Minnesota, including the metro area, has been extended by the National Weather Service until Friday at 9 p.m.   

This is the fifth-consecutive day with highs in the 90s in the Twin Cities, and Wednesday's heat index values are near 100 degrees, Lows will only drop into the 70s overnight.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has also issued an air quality alert for much of the state. That's set to expire on Friday at 11 a.m., but the agency said it may be extended. Smoke from fires in the Arrowhead, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and southern Canada will inundate a large swath of the state, with northeastern Minnesota seeing the worst effects.

Just before 9 p.m. Wednesday, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says it hit a new hourly observation record and upgraded the Twin Cities air quality index to hazardous for the first time.

Wildfires are still burning in Superior National Forest, and though no red flag warning is in place, the National Weather Service said "near critical fire weather conditions" may occur on Wednesday. Gov. Tim Walz is set to receive an update on the fires Wednesday morning, and may extend the peacetime emergency he previously declared.

Heat and poor air quality will remain the primary concerns on Thursday.

Friday will still be hot, with only a slight chance of an isolated shower in western Wisconsin. 

Over the weekend, temperatures will ease slightly into the upper 80s and lower 90s, with mainly dry conditions continuing.

The next chance for rain in the metro may come early Monday as heat and humidity hang on, and Tuesday may be the day temps finally cool into the low 80s.