Good morning,

I hope you were able to enjoy the clear blue sky yesterday. Today should be a comfortable day for early August with seasonable temperatures and low humidity, but smoke remains a concern.

After one of the driest Julys on record in parts of Minnesota, the drought conditions affecting the region show no signs of letting up to start the month of August.

In the Twin Cities, the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport ended July with just 0.87 inches of rain for the month — more than 3 inches below normal. Since June 1, the airport is nearly a half-foot below normal rainfall.

St. Cloud, Rochester, Duluth and International Falls also are between 3 and 5 inches below normal rainfall since June 1.

A sign at a Metro Transit light rail station in St. Paul advises riders of a continued requirement to wear face coverings on public transit on Saturday.
Andrew Krueger | MPR News

CDC recommends indoor masking for many Minnesota counties

Minnesota’s COVID-19 picture looked extremely bright on July 1. Now, with the month ending on Saturday, things are a little cloudy. Cases and hospitalizations continue to rise at a steady pace heading into August.

With the rise of the delta variant, the CDC recommends even vaccinated people wear a mask indoors in areas where community transmission is substantial or high.

In Minnesota, as of Friday evening, that includes more than 30 counties — including nearly all of the Twin Cities metro area.

The buildings of downtown St. Paul are shrouded in haze caused by smoke from wildfires in Canada on Thursday, as seen from the High Bridge in St. Paul. The day brought the worst air quality on record in Minnesota. Andrew Krueger | MPR News

What you need to know about the smoky air across Minnesota

An air quality alert remains in effect for all of Minnesota through Tuesday, as what the state Pollution Control Agency calls an “unprecedented” stretch of poor air quality continues to affect the region.

On Thursday, an air quality monitor in St. Cloud recorded the highest particulate reading on record for Minnesota — 422 micrograms per cubic meter — according to data from the Minnesota PCA. Most MPCA monitors came online in 2000.

"Good" air quality is considered to be 50 or lower. Air is "very unhealthy" at 201 or greater.

MPR News has gathered questions from readers and listeners about the smoky air descending on the state; here are answers to some frequently asked questions.