An air quality alert is in effect for nearly the entire state through Friday, but northern and central Minnesota will bear the brunt of it, due to their proximity to Canadian wildfires.

The blazes have destroyed nearly 15 million acres of land, and the fire season is expected to go into September. With it comes the threat of smoky days in Minnesota and North Dakota.

An air quality alert due to wildfire smoke from Canada has been expanded to include the Twin Cities metro and much of northern, central and southwestern Minnesota until Friday night.

Intense wildfires in Canada’s western provinces continued blazing Wednesday, sending smoke southward and triggering air quality alerts throughout the United States. More than 400 wildfires are ...

A Hazardous Weather Outlook is also in effect across the region. The National Weather Service issued the outlook because of smoke blanketing Wisconsin amid Canadian wildfires in Manitoba and Ontario. The smoke is being transported south by wind patterns, leading to air quality alerts and advisories across the state.

The weekend is looking hot and more humid both Saturday and Sunday with only the small chance of a storm on Saturday (mainly north of the metro). Evening and nighttime storms are more likely on Sunday. Temperatures this weekend will reach well into the 80s and lower 90’s both days.

Wildfires in Canada are continuing to blanket its southern neighbors in smog, triggering new air quality alerts in the northern high plains, Midwest and Great Lakes, according to the National ...