Why Does It Smell So Bad In The Air Right Now In Minnesota + Wisconsin?

I was driving to work this morning and I noticed it kinda smelled in my car. I was worried I had some garbage or something rotting in there. Then, I panicked wondering if it was me or my clothes.

The weather has been very bizarre this winter with milder temperatures. Now, we have another really warm stretch on our hands. It's damp, foggy, and dreary - especially for January.

Elevated Particulates With Current Weather System

This weather pattern has brought stagnant air to the upper midwest. The weather is bringing elevated particulates in the stagnant air and that's why you may be smelling that unpleasant odor. Especially with little to no wind, the air just hangs around.

Brandon Weatherz (yes that's his real name), our meteorologist with WDIO mentioned the smell in the air this morning and gave the reason behind it.

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The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is monitoring the particulate levels. For most of Minnesota and Wisconsin the level is moderate for air quality and alerts have not been issued yet. However, there are some spots in the Twin Cities metro area that are noticing higher levels of particulates. All that smog is just hanging around with the current system.

These conditions are expected to persist in the coming days, and there's a good chance an alert will be issued.

In the Northland we are expecting temperatures above freezing through the extended forecast. Next week we could see temperatures well above 40 degrees across the region. Winds will continue to be light averaging around 5 mph.