How Long Will Wildfire Smoke Linger Over Northern Minnesota?

By far the biggest story in the Northland this week is the intense wildfire smoke we have been experiencing all week long thanks to fires burning in northern Minnesota and beyond.

It has been very intense in the Duluth area, with the wildfire smoke causing event cancellations. One of Grandma's most popular races was even cancelled on Thursday (July 16th) due to the hazardous conditions.

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At one point this week, Duluth had the worst air quality in the entire world. That just puts things into perspective a little bit for you. It seemed like there was a light at the end of the tunnel in terms of when things would clear up.

Earlier this week, the smoke was expected to clear by the end of the week but things have now changed. So how long will the smoke last in our neck of the woods?

National Weather Service Of Duluth Shares Smoke Forecast Into The Weekend

The National Weather Service of Duluth shared an update early on Friday morning (July 17th), writing that we will actually get a bit of a break from the smoke this afternoon and evening, which is great news.

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However, that will not be the end of it, as more smoke is likely to return Saturday morning. Don't get too excited when we get a little bit of a reprieve going into the weekend because it appears like it will be short-lived.

WDIO also shared an early-morning air quality forecast on Friday morning, also forecasting a break in the smoke at times today before returning for the weekend. We also have chances for showers and storms in the forecast and hot weather. There's a lot going on.

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The heat today will make things even more miserable so make sure you are limiting your time outdoors as much as possible. Although we are also expecting some rain in the forecast, it won't be enough to make a huge impact on the current state of the smoke.

According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and their latest forecast at the time of writing (9:53 a.m. on July 17th), smoke is expected to stick around in the northeastern part of Minnesota until at least Monday morning (July 20th).

Air quality alerts will stick around for our region while expiring in other parts of the state because we are so much closer to the fires, and because of the lake trapping smoke at the surface. Conditions are expected to remain in the 'hazardous' category for the Northland throughout the entire weekend.

Last but not least, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says smoke may move into Wisconsin throughout the weekend and then pivot back towards the eastern part of Minnesota, meaning the air quality alerts would continue into early next week.

Overall, it looks like smoke is here to stay through the weekend and into early next week with no end in sight at the moment. Stay safe!

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