Code Yellow ("moderate") bad air days in much of Minnesota.
Thursday and Friday are forecast to be Code Orange ("unhealthy for
sensitive groups") for ozone and Code Yellow for particle
pollution. I would consider the combined effects to qualify for
Code Red, especially when combined with hot and humid weather.
Many people will experience discomfort or worse. Take care.
From the MPCA's email:
>Wildfire smoke particles, very warm temperatures and mostly sunny
>skies are combining to produce yellow (moderate) AQI conditions
>across much of Minnesota on Thursday. Ground-level ozone levels are
>increasing rapidly with expected orange (unhealthy for sensitive
>groups) AQI conditions in parts of eastern and central Minnesota
>including the Twin Cities metro area. An Air Quality Alert is in
>effect Noon-8pm Thursday. Friday, continued yellow AQI conditions
>across the central/southern portions of Minnesota in advance of a
>slow-moving frontal boundary. With the inflow of higher ground-level
>ozone from the central and southern US, AQI levels are expected to
>reach orange levels by the afternoon hours over much of southern
>Minnesota. An Air Quality Alert will be in effect on Friday.
>Precautions for sensitive groups are to limit outdoor exposure and
>to take breaks if/when outside. By Saturday, the cold front will
>slowly move through the Twin Cities/south central Minnesota;
>however, yellow AQI levels will continue from the Twin Cities to
>Rochester to Winona until the front clears the state Saturday
>evening. Sunday green (good) AQI conditions state wide.
>
>AQI forecasts, like weather forecasts, are projections, and not
>measured conditions.
>
>For AQI information which is updated hourly, please visit the MPCA's
>AQI website at http://www.pca.state.mn.us/d8dcwpp