dundee Weather mix: September 2011

A forest fire ignited by lightning over northeastern Minnesota on August 18th has sent smoke plumes south into Wisconsin and Illinois on the heels of a strengthening northerly flow.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED SEPTEMBER 13 AT 8:30PM CDT EXPIRING SEPTEMBER 14 AT 2:30AM CDT BY NWS CHICAGO
...SMOKE FROM NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA WILD FIRE OVER NORTHERN ILLINOIS... SMOKE FROM A LARGE WILDFIRE OVER NORTHEAST MINNESOTA

ARRIVED OVER FAR NORTHERN ILLINOIS EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. NORTHERLY WINDS THAT DEVELOPED FOR MUCH OF THE DAY ALLOWED THIS SMOKE

FILLED AIRMASS TO SLIDE SOUTHEAST. ALTHOUGH THE FIRE IS MORE THAN 400 MILES NORTHWEST OF THE AREA...THE COMBINATION OF SINKING

AIR AND NORTHERLY WINDS HAVE TRANSPORTED SMOKE ALL THE WAY INTO NORTHERN ILLINOIS. THE SMOKE WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT

HOURS...BEFORE WINDS BECOME MORE WESTERLY IN ADVANCE OF ANOTHER COLD FRONT WHICH WILL APPROACH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. EXPECT

HAZY SKIES AND A DISTINCT BURNING ODOR. THE LAKE COUNTY ILLINOIS EMERGENCY MANAGER REPORTS THAT SMOKE IS PREVALENT ENOUGH TO

CAUSE PEOPLE TO REPORT DIFFICULTY BREATHING AND BURNING OF THEIR EYES. INDIVIDUALS WITH RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS SHOULD USE CAUTION

WHILE SMOKE AFFECTS THE AREA.

Ely, MN, USA — The Pagami Creek fire burns in the distance over Farm Lake on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2011. Moose Track Adventures owner Jim Blauch said the fire has gotten worse since Sunday and now looks "like an atomic bomb went off." (Photo courtesy Jim Blauch, Moose Track Adventures)

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/09/13/pagami-creek-fire-photos/#5