Wildfire smoke moves into Minnesota, bringing hazy skies
ST. PAUL, Minn. – There was a haze hanging in the air over parts of the Twin Cities metro Wednesday.
It's happening because of the massive wildfires burning out west hundreds of miles away. Some of that smoke has slowly moved our way.
On a walk with his dog, Michael Rajkumar saw it over Lake Como in St. Paul.
"I would think it's just cloudy over there, but now that I look closer, I mean I can see the actual clouds and then the haze," Rajkumar said.
It's expected to get worse Thursday.
"It's gonna look like a brownish, sort of smoggy, kind of like Los Angeles does in movies from a wide shot," said WCCO Director of Meteorology Mike Augustyniak. "It's not gonna be very pretty."
RELATED: California grapples with another day of deadly fires and record-breaking heat
Augustyniak says climate change is causing larger and more frequent wildfires. Air quality could be a concern here.
As of Thursday morning, air quality was listed as good for a big chunk of the state, but areas like St. Cloud, the Twin Cities and Rochester have moderate air quality. A patch on the edge of the northwestern part of Minnesota is also experiencing moderate air quality.
"I talked to a colleague at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency ... and he said so far as Thursday evening is concerned, we're gonna be right on the borderline as to whether or not they'll need an alert," Augustyniak said.
Dr. Andrew Stiehm, a pulmonary specialist with Allina Health, says being out in the smoggy air can be dangerous for people with breathing issues like asthma. For everyone else, the haze can at least be irritating.
"Itchy eyes, watery nose, sore throat, headache, chest congestion, cough," Stiehm said.
He advised staying inside where the air is regulated better.
Stiehm says children can be especially vulnerable, too. He says parents should take their kids inside if they're coughing more or short of breath.
Multiple wildfires are burning across California, as firefighters are also contending with brutal heat.
