A lot of smoke in the Metro area. And I have not seen a single bird tday

[progree]

4. "Wildfire smoke concentration is now record-setting. Air quality alerts cover most of Minnesota"

Star Tribune headline, 7/16/26 (no paywall for this MSN-hosted article)
https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/wildfire-smoke-concentration-is-now-record-setting-air-quality-alerts-cover-most-of-minnesota/ar-AA282Bki

New records for wildfire smoke concentration were set Wednesday in the Twin Cities, the Duluth area and in Grand Portage, according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA).

. . .

According to IQAir, only Detroit and Toronto have worse air in the world than Minneapolis as of early Thursday.

. . .

Readings on Thursday morning include 952 in Duluth, 966 in Ely, 670 in Grand Portage, 561 near Brainerd and levels between 300 and 486 in the metro area, according to the MPCA. In other words, it is thick out there.

When will it get better?: The National Weather Service says air quality should start to improve slightly Friday, with even better air arriving Saturday and Sunday