Minnesota's air quality improves, but alert continues into Monday

James Walsh, Star Tribune on Aug 3, 2025

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Skies over much of Minnesota looked — and smelled — clearer and cleaner Sunday, with the most troublesome air from Canadian wildfires moving east into Wisconsin.

But state and federal air quality monitors still are predicting sections of unhealthy air for people with sensitivity through Monday at noon.

Minneapolis had the fifth worst air quality among 125 cites worldwide on Saturday morning, according to IQ Air, an international air quality monitoring platform. It has been dropping in the rankings since.

Particles in the smoke are so small that they can evade some of the lung’s natural defenses, causing not only breathing problems but also other health concerns if they enter the bloodstream.

At AirNow.gov, a site run by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, officials urged some caution to those sensitive to extra particulates in the air, and offered these tips:

Have flexibility in your schedule? Even if the forecast is Orange (unhealthy for sensitive groups), there may be times during the day when air quality is OK for outdoor activities. Check current air quality to see if now is a good time for you to be active outdoors.

Can’t change your schedule? At the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), most of Minnesota was classified as having “moderate” air quality late Sunday morning, with areas around Marshall, Moorhead and Hibbing being a potential risk for people with breathing sensitivity.

An air quality alert for Minnesota through Monday issued by the MPCA remains in effect.

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(Kyeland Jackson and Jeremy Olson of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed to this story.)

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