High levels can aggravate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema and COPD, according to the MPCA.
Ozone is produced on hot, sunny days by a chemical reaction between volatile organic compounds and oxides of nitrogen. "I don't have any particular explanation for it," she said, but wondered if it was related to the air quality.įine particle pollution from wildfire smoke can irritate the eyes, nose and throat, and cause coughing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dizziness or fatigue. Though Cabrera said the smoke didn't bother him, Ferri said she's had some throat irritation for the past couple of days and lost her voice. Joe Cabrera and Jodie Ferri were walking on the footpath around the lake. "Mentally, it's discouraging," Richardson said. "We debated it, but thought, 'What the heck?' "ĭevin Schmidt and Ellie Richardson took a walk around the lake, and said their breathing was fine. Paul with a friend, saying she didn't think the smoke would slow her down - though they were ready to go a shorter distance if necessary. Karen Berg-Moberg decided to go on a bike ride at Como Lake in St. Star Tribune Video (01:35) The latest forecast for the Twin Cities and region.ĭespite the hazy skies and acrid air covering the Twin Cities, some still ventured outdoors. But Witcraft said this smoke coverage may not be considered as bad as the 2021 event, because the haze is expected to clear much more quickly, by Thursday at midday. One monitor just south of downtown reached an hourly reading of 215 AQI, or the purple, "very unhealthy" category. When wildfire smoke traveled south from Canada in July 2021, one daylong average for the Twin Cities reached 182 AQI, solidly in the red category, Witcraft said. In comparison, the agency said the air-quality score at the U.S. While the AQI index goes up to 500, readings above 200 are considered sufficiently hazardous that outdoor activities are discouraged. Paul had the worst air quality in the United States, with a score of 256, according to, the official U.S. It was a challenge to compare the hourly readings showing up on monitoring websites, he said, because historical Air Quality Index (AQI) data is averaged over a 24-hour period.īut at 6 p.m. "I think it's fair to say probably this one now is the worst episode in the Twin Cities," he said. While 2021 had worse air quality in parts of northern Minnesota, Witcraft said this year's bout of poor air quality is more widespread and worse in the Twin Cities. Nick Witcraft, an air quality meteorologist with the MPCA, said that Wednesday's smoke was the worst on record for the Twin Cities.
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