Air Quality Alert Issued For Twin Cities Tuesday Afternoon

MINNEAPOLIS — The Twin Cities will be under an air quality alert Tuesday afternoon, according to state authorities.

The alert will last from noon to 8 p.m. and include the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area as well as St. Cloud, Rochester, Mankato, Marshall and the tribal nations of Mille Lacs, Upper Sioux and Prairie Island, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

“Ground-level ozone is expected to be high during the afternoon hours on Tuesday, and air quality is expected to reach the Orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups) AQI category across southern Minnesota,” the alert said.

“Southerly winds are transporting pollutants into the state. Sunny skies, warm temperatures, and low humidity will allow these pollutants to react in the air to produce ground-level ozone.”

People with asthma and other breathing conditions, children and teens, and those doing extended or heavy outdoor physical activity are more likely to be affected.

The alert Tuesday follows a similar alert last week, when air quality reached the red index category as smoke from Canadian wildfires moved through the state.