Will Minnesota get more air quality issues from Canadian wildfires this summer? A look at the forecast
MINNEAPOLIS -- So far in 2023, no fewer than 24 air quality alerts have impacted our warm weather days this year. That's a record that may keep building, as the latest update on Canadian wildfires indicates we're likely not done with smoky skies.
New information from Natural Resources Canada could help Minnesotans plan out what we can expect later this summer.
It has been a record-breaking wildfire year in Canada, in terms of the total area burned (more than 8.8 million hectares), the number of evacuees (nearly 156,000), and the needed international help, which includes 11 countries spanning six continents.
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And no, the season is not over. Natural Resources Canada says they expect both July and August to be higher than normal for fire activity. The season usually ends in September.
There have been over 3,400 wildfires, which is already 700 more wildfires than the 10-year season average.
What does that mean for us locally?
As the westerlies transport more wildfire smoke from Canada, Minnesota is going to be in target for that wildfire smoke. That means more wildfire smoke this summer and more air quality problems to slow down summer plans.