Bob CollinsIf you squint a little bit and ignore all the snow, downtown St. Paul could easily be mistaken for Los Angeles today. Officials are calling it “haze,” but you may know it better as smog.
Here’s a sample courtesy of the Midwest Hazecam Web site:
We’re not alone. The whole Upper Midwest is breathing foul air today. Right, Milwaukee?
Minnesota’s air quality today is listed as “unhealthy,” according to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
What’s happening here? An “inversion,” in which air doesn’t rise (and disperse) as quickly as you might expect. That’s trapping all the pollution near the ground. Throw in light winds and, voila! We’re Los Angeles.
It’ll be that way until Sunday, according to the experts.
