MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA — The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has issued an Ozone Air Quality Alert for the Twin Cities metro area and the Tribal Nation of Prairie Island, valid from noon Friday May 29, 2026 through 9:00 PM Friday May 29, 2026, with ground-level ozone expected to reach the orange AQI category — considered unhealthy for sensitive groups — during the Friday afternoon hours as warm temperatures and mostly sunny skies fuel ozone formation across the metro.
Orange AQI Category Expected Across Twin Cities Metro from Noon to 9 PM Friday
The MPCA air quality alert issued at 2:28 PM Thursday May 28, 2026 places the Minneapolis and St. Paul metro area and surrounding communities within an Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups alert zone shown in orange on the Minnesota statewide alert map. The orange AQI designation indicates that ozone concentrations are projected to reach levels that pose health risks for sensitive populations including children, the elderly, and individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma.
Ozone levels are expected to begin reaching alert criteria around noon on Friday as solar radiation builds through the midday hours and will subside after sunset, giving residents a defined window of elevated air quality concern through the afternoon and early evening.
Sunny Skies and Warm Temperatures Creating Ideal Ozone Formation Conditions Friday
Forecasters at the MPCA explain that mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures reaching 85 to 90 degrees, and low humidity on Friday will create a highly favorable environment for ozone formation across the Twin Cities. The combination of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides reacting with sunlight under these conditions will drive ground-level ozone concentrations to alert levels by midday.
High and thin cloud cover will be present over the metro but enough solar radiation is expected to reach the surface to sustain ozone formation through the afternoon hours. The NWS Twin Cities weekend forecast issued at 4:12 AM Friday May 29 confirms today’s mostly cloudy conditions with highs of 85 to 90 degrees, followed by a breezy Saturday with chance showers in southwest Minnesota and highs of 80 to 85 degrees.
Sensitive Groups Should Limit Outdoor Exposure and Avoid Heavy Exertion Friday Afternoon
The MPCA is advising all sensitive groups including children, elderly residents, and anyone with respiratory or cardiovascular conditions to avoid prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion and limit time spent outside between noon and 9 PM on Friday. Additional ozone alerts over the weekend remain possible if cloud cover comes in lower than currently forecast, potentially extending the air quality concern into Saturday and Sunday across the Twin Cities region.
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