Air Quality Issues Continue as Wildfires Burn, Smoke Travels

Air quality alerts are still active across parts of the nation due to wildfire smoke and particles in the atmosphere. Minnesota, for a second weekend in a row, is dealing with widespread poor air quality due to smoke and particles blowing into the state from Canadian wildfires. Alerts for the state will stay active through Sunday. Other areas impacted by air quality alerts include interior sections of the Northwest and central California. The Northwest alerts will continue through Tuesday. The central California alerts will stay active until nearby large fires are put out. These alerts are issued due to unhealthy air. Per the National Weather Service and environmental government agencies around the nation, children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory illnesses are most at risk of serious health effects. Exposure to particle pollution can cause serious health problems, aggravate lung disease, cause asthma attacks and acute bronchitis, and increase risk of respiratory infections. Its recommended to speak with a physician if respiratory distress occurs. Tune in to WeatherNation for more on this and other weather stories from across the nation. For WeatherNation, I am Meteorologist Marcus Walter.