After a break of a few weeks — thanks to some rain in Canada and favorable upper- and lower-level winds — the Canadian wildfire smoke is back with a vengeance. The air quality index is in the RED category (unhealthy for all),

An air quality alert for northwest Minnesota has been extended to cover the entire state and run through Monday.

KSTP FORECAST FIRST ALERT TODAY FOR TWIN CITIES/WESTERN WISCONSIN BECAUSE OF CANADIAN WILDFIRE SMOKE PRODUCING UNHEALTHY LEVELS OF SMOKE: Northwest Winds blowing over Minnesota and Wisconsin Today will bring significant amounts of Smoke from Canada Wildfires – people with Respiratory Illness should avoid long periods of time outdoors Today through Sunday morning and even Healthy

Canadian wildfire smoke will make for hazy skies through Sunday as the weekend comes to a close.A low pressure trough will push into the northern Great Lakes region through the end of the weekend resulting in northwest upper-air flow out of Canada.

An air quality alert for northwest and north central Minnesota went into effect at 6 a.m. on Friday and could be extended into Saturday.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) has issued an air quality alert for all of Minnesota until 9 a.m. on Monday.

Two young men are accused of walking up to a residential garage in Mankato, Minnesota, and opening fire at two people inside as part of an apparent ongoing dispute.

Six members of Congress from Wisconsin and Minnesota have asked Canada to say how it plans to tackle the blazes and reduce the haze billowing south.

An air quality alert is in place for the entire state of Minnesota through 9 a.m. Monday. Northern Minnesota falls in the very unhealthy AQI category.

Wildfires continue to burn in Canada, and the smoke is filling communities there and towns across the U.S. border.