Why Is It So Hazy In The Duluth / Superior Area?
If you are like me, you woke up on Sunday morning and noticed that something was definitely in the air!
My throat was a little scratchy and I had a bit of a headache. I looked at my phone and saw an Air Quality Alert. According to KSTP, an alert was issued to a good portion of northeastern Minnesota. This included Hibbing, Duluth and Ely, among other spots.
So why is it so hazy in the Duluth and Superior area? Because of wildfires in Ontario and Manitoba. Wind patterns and air pressure pushed the smoke into our area.
The good news is that things will slowly get better Monday (July 12th) into midweek. The National Weather Service of Duluth says wind patterns will shift and eventually move the smoke out of our area.
Rain in the forecast should also help things out a bit for the Duluth and Superior area. Check out what they shared on their official Facebook page Monday:
While smoke starts to clear out and the air quality gets better, this is a good time to brush up on some tips for the next time something like this happens.
There are a bunch of things you can do when air quality is poor due to wildfire smoke, or anything else that may cause another alert. First and foremost, stay indoors as much as you can. If you have to be outdoors, try to limit your time as much as possible. This includes putting off errands that can wait until a later date or putting off chores, like gardening or mowing the lawn, until a different time.
You should also find a different means to exercise if you were planning on hiking or running outside. An indoor workout would be better. You could also try going somewhere else, if possible, that doesn't have poor air quality. You could take a day trip to somewhere with cleaner air, should it be a short drive away.
Last, use extra caution if you have any lung issues or diseases. Call your doctor if needed to see if there are any other measures you can take to be safe.
This is just the latest weather-related happening to go down in the Twin Ports. It has been a summer full of headlines thanks to our unusual weather as of late. We saw one of the warmest Junes on record for Duluth, thanks to a warm start to the month.
Minnesota's drought conditions have also been making headlines, especially mid-June when nearly three-quarters of the state were seeing some type of drought. (By the way, we still are seeing drought conditions mid-July, according to the National Weather Service of Duluth.)
Most recently, our hot weather during the fourth of July weekend had people talking. We saw scorching conditions across the Northland. What's next?