The National Weather Service office in Johnston has issued an air quality alert until 4 p.m. Friday
Northerly winds behind a cold front are bringing smoke from wildfires out west and in Canada into Iowa, according to the NWS. Heavy smoke is expected to arrive Thursday afternoon in northwest Iowa.
The smoke is expected to travel south and east across the state, reaching U.S. Interstate 80 by around midnight Thursday and extending to southern Iowa by 5 a.m. Friday.
The smoke is expected to remain across much of the state through much of Friday. During this time, fine-particle levels are expected to be in the Orange AQI category, a level that
is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups.
Fine-particle levels will begin to improve around noon Friday, and air quality should improve below alert levels statewide by mid-afternoon Friday.
Sensitive groups include the elderly, those with respiratory or heart disease and children. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recommends that individuals in these sensitive groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion until air quality conditions improve.
Along with Dallas County, the air quality alert is in effect in Lyon, Osceola, Dickinson, Emmet, Kossuth, Winnebago, Worth, Mitchell, Howard, Winneshiek, Allamakee, Sioux, O`Brien, Clay, Palo Alto, Hancock, Cerro Gordo, Floyd, Chickasaw, Plymouth, Cherokee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Humboldt, Wright, Franklin, Butler, Bremer, Fayette, Clayton,
Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Calhoun, Webster, Hamilton, Hardin, Grundy, Black Hawk, Buchanan, Delaware, Dubuque, Monona, Crawford, Carroll, Greene, Boone, Story, Marshall, Tama, Benton, Linn, Jones, Jackson, Harrison, Shelby, Audubon, Guthrie, Polk, Jasper, Poweshiek, Iowa, Johnson, Cedar, Clinton, Muscatine, Scott, Pottawattamie, Cass, Adair, Madison, Warren, Marion, Mahaska, Keokuk, Washington, Louisa, Mills, Montgomery, Adams, Union, Clarke, Lucas, Monroe, Wapello, Jefferson, Henry, Des Moines, Fremont, Page, Taylor, Ringgold, Decatur, Wayne, Appanoose, Davis, Van Buren and Lee counties.
Keep track of current air quality conditions at fire.airnow.gov.
ThePerryNews.com will update this weather story as forecasts evolve.
