Minnesotans flock outside despite smoke from wildfires in Canada

(FOX 9) – Wildfire smoke drifted from Canada into the Twin Cities on a weekend when the weather had many hoping to get outside.

But at parks around the metro, people were sticking it to Mother Nature on Sunday. Many Minnesotans went outdoors to ride bicycles, play volleyball, kayak, or sunbathe.

Some say they recognized that air quality was compromised but wanted to do things anyway.

“It’s not the best… definitely the air quality is not great,” Sid Shad told FOX 9. “We do have to live our lives… you have to deal with it.”

Advice from an expert

What they’re saying:

FOX 9 Meteorologist Cody Matz says he expects the smoky air to linger through Monday. June 2, until winds shift to give us a bit of a reprieve.

In the meantime, Matz suggests, “if you smell smoke, then it’s usually thick enough to where you’re going to run into some health issues. It’s not instantaneous, [but] if you’re spending large amounts of time outside, at some point your lungs may start to burn a little bit. You may have some breathing trouble, so it’s just a recommendation to get inside, seek filtered air to help relieve that stress on your body,” Matz said.

The backstory:

Summer season is wildfire season in Canada, and already this season, at least a dozen wildfires have scorched over a million acres of land in Canada.