Minnesota wildfire smoke forecast

The map shows NOAA HRRR-Smoke near-surface PM2.5 for the next 48 hours, updated hourly, with active fire perimeters from NIFC and live AQI from EPA AirNow monitors. It opens over Minneapolis. Search any town or use the buttons above.

Minnesota sits closest of these states to the Canadian boreal fires, so smoke arrives early and often on northwesterly flow. Northern Minnesota (Duluth) sees some of the highest transported PM2.5 in the region, ahead of the Twin Cities.

Most of this smoke starts in Canada, so switch the map to the ECCC FireWork model, which resolves Canadian sources HRRR-Smoke can underplay. Compare the two with the layer toggle.

Near-surface is the product that maps to what you breathe and to AQI, not the high-altitude column that only tints the sunset.