Another round of smoky air will cover the vast majority of Minnesota through Friday, the state Pollution Control Agency warned in an alert issued Wednesday afternoon. The alert, which was expanded on Thursday to include southeast Minnesota, is in effect until 11 p.m. Friday, July 25.

Heavy smoke from wildfires in Saskatchewan and Manitoba is moving south, impacting air quality. The MPCA anticipates that air quality will improve gradually starting Friday afternoon as southerly winds push the smoke north.