...AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT THROUGH 6 PM THURSDAY...

THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY
ALERT FOR FINE PARTICLE POLLUTION FOR CENTRAL, EAST CENTRAL, AND
SOUTHERN MINNESOTA.

FINE PARTICLE LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN THE ORANGE (UNHEALTHY
FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS) CATEGORY IN THE TWIN CITIES METROPOLITAN AREA
AND CENTRAL MINNESOTA THIS MORNING DUE TO STAGNANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS. FINE PARTICLE LEVELS HAVE ALSO REACHED THE ORANGE
CATEGORY ACROSS SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. LIGHT WINDS, FOG, AND A STRONG
INVERSION HAVE RESULTED IN POOR DISPERSION AND AIR POLLUTANTS ARE
ACCUMULATING AND BECOMING TRAPPED NEAR THE GROUND. POOR DISPERSION
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS AS THIS PLUME
OF FINE PARTICLES WILL SLOWLY TRANSPORTS ACROSS CENTRAL AND
SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA. FINE PARTICLE LEVELS IN THE ALERT AREA ARE
EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEAR OR ABOVE 100 AQI UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON,
WHEN A FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE STATE AND BRINGS CLEANER AIR INTO THE
REGION.

AN AIR QUALITY ALERT IS ISSUED WHEN THE AQ IS EXPECTED TO REACH OR
EXCEED 101, A LEVEL CONSIDERED UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS.
SENSITIVE GROUPS, SUCH AS PEOPLE WITH LUNG DISEASE (INCLUDING
ASTHMA), HEART DISEASE, CHILDREN AND OLDER ADULTS, AND PEOPLE WHO
ARE ACTIVE OUTDOORS SHOULD LIMIT PROLONGED EXERTION.

FOR INFORMATION ON CURRENT AIR QUALITY CONDITIONS IN YOUR AREA AND
TO SIGN-UP FOR DAILY AIR QUALITY FORECASTS AND ALERT NOTIFICATIONS
BY EMAIL, TEXT MESSAGE, PHONE, OR THE MINNESOTA AIR MOBILE APP,
VISIT HTTPS://WWW.PCA.STATE.MN.US/AIR/CURRENT-AIR-QUALITY.