Weather Alert in Minnesota
Air Quality Alert issued July 18 at 2:07PM CDT by NWS Grand Forks ND
AREAS AFFECTED: West Polk; Norman; Kittson; Roseau; Lake Of The Woods; West Marshall; East Marshall; North Beltrami; Pennington; Red Lake; East Polk; North Clearwater; South Beltrami; Mahnomen; South Clearwater; Hubbard
DESCRIPTION: * WHAT...The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an Air Quality Alert for fine particles pollution. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is expected to reach the Purple or Very Unhealthy category. * WHERE...North central, northeast, and northwest Minnesota. * WHEN...1 PM CDT Saturday until 9 AM CDT Monday. * IMPACTS...The risk of health effects is increased for everyone. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Heavy surface smoke from Canadian wildfires will drift south into Minnesota over the next several days. This smoke will initially impact far northern Minnesota early Saturday afternoon and then spread south and east through the rest of the day and into the evening. Smoke lingers across the region on Sunday with light winds in place, and then exits back to the north through Monday morning. The highest smoke concentrations are expected to be across far northern Minnesota and the Arrowhead region from Saturday into Sunday.
INSTRUCTION: Sensitive groups, such as people with lung disease (including asthma), heart disease, and children and older adults, should avoid all physical activities outdoors. The general public should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion. Reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, such as outdoor burning, and use of residential wood burning devices. Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible. Keep windows closed overnight to prevent smoke from getting indoors.
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Weather Topic: What is Rain?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Rain
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Precipitation in the form of water droplets is called rain.
Rain generally has a tendency to fall with less intensity over a greater period
of time, and when rainfall is more severe it is usually less sustained.
Rain is the most common form of precipitation and happens with greater frequency
depending on the season and regional influences. Cities have been shown to have
an observable effect on rainfall, due to an effect called the urban heat island.
Compared to upwind, monthly rainfall between twenty and forty miles downwind of
cities is 30% greater.
Next Topic: Shelf Clouds
Weather Topic: What is Sleet?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Sleet
Next Topic: Snow
Sleet is a form of precipitation in which small ice pellets are the primary
components. These ice pellets are smaller and more translucent than hailstones,
and harder than graupel. Sleet is caused by specific atmospheric conditions and
therefore typically doesn't last for extended periods of time.
The condition which leads to sleet formation requires a warmer body of air to be
wedged in between two sub-freezing bodies of air. When snow falls through a warmer
layer of air it melts, and as it falls through the next sub-freezing body of air
it freezes again, forming ice pellets known as sleet. In some cases, water
droplets don't have time to freeze before reaching the surface and the result is
freezing rain.
Next Topic: Snow
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