Air Quality Alerts Return to Rochester, Northern Minnesota
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Air Quality Alerts have returned to Minnesota.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued the alerts Tuesday afternoon. The alerts are triggered by a combination of smoke from Canadian wildfires and high concentration of surface-level ozone.
The Air Quality Alert for Rochester and surrounding communities in southeast Minnesota is scheduled to take effect at noon Wednesday. The alert says, “light wind, warm temperatures, and sunny conditions will combine with small amounts of wildfire smoke from Canada to produce high concentrations of surface level ozone.”
Those factors are expected to put the Rochester region’s air in the orange category meaning sensitive groups, which are described as people with asthma and other lung diseases, heart disease, children and older adults, could experience adverse health effects while outside. Officials advise members of sensitive groups to limit outdoor exertion.
Residents of communities in the alert area are also asked to limit activities that contribute to air pollution such as vehicle trips, vehicle idling and outdoor burning. Southeast Minnesota’s Air Quality Alert is set to expire at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
A stronger band of Canadian Wildfire Smoke has begun to smother communities in northern Minnesota where the air quality is also expected to reach the orange category. The air quality alert in northern Minnesota took effect Tuesday evening and is set to expire Thursday morning.
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