Climate Cast Minnesota Public Radio

An increasing number of wildfires in Canada and the western U.S. is pumping smoke toward Minnesota.

But how much smoke will reach Minnesota? And how do meteorologists forecast wildfire smoke events and trends across the state?

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s supervisory meteorologist Matt Taraldsen talks about the wildfire smoke that sullies Minnesota’s blue skies and triggers air quality alerts.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

Flash floods and extreme temperatures — both heat and cold — are having a negative impact on infrastructure across the Midwest. 

These extreme weather swings take a toll on roads, bridges and railroads, leading to headaches for travel and daily commutes.

Kiley Price wrote about the threat for Inside Climate News and joined MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner to explain what’s being done to address the aging infrastructure in the Midwest.

Climate change-enhanced rainfall events threaten nearly 92,000 dams across the U.S. and many are over 100 years old — including dams in Minnesota.

Climate reporter Kristoffer Tigue wrote about aging dams and the risk for extreme rainfall for Inside Climate News.

Tigue joined MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner to explain how extreme weather events pose a threat to dams in Minnesota and the Midwest.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

Lakes are a part of Minnesota’s Identity. 

While the thousands of lakes are cherished for their recreational accessibility across the state, some of those pristine bodies of water could — one day — help generate a vast amount of clean energy through solar power.

Matt Simon wrote about floating solar panels for Grist. Simon talked to MPR News meteorologist Paul Huttner about floatovoltaics.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

Last year, the Minnesota Legislature passed a law requiring the state’s electrical utilities to transition to 100 percent carbon-free energy sources by 2040. 

That means replacing power sources that produce carbon dioxide such as coal and natural gas with renewable sources such as solar, wind, hydropower and biomass.

But how do you define “carbon-free” and what guidelines will be used to make sure utilities are meeting that standard? “We’re really hoping that carbon-free actually means carbon-free,” said B. Rosas, a policy manager with the advocacy group Climate Generation.

Rosas talked to Paul Huttner about the organization’s efforts.

To hear the full conversation, click play on the audio player above or subscribe to the Climate Cast podcast.

Recent abundant levels of rainfall across the state have pulled Minnesota out of drought for the first time since June 2022.

Will this rainfall pattern continue? And how are Minnesota’s precipitation swings a symptom of climate change? 

Kenneth Blumenfeld with the Minnesota State Climatology Office talks about recent rainfall across the state and explains how both dry and wet patterns — sometimes lasting several months — are connected to climate change.