More burning leaves in North St. Paul, MN. If people aren't burning wood, they are burning yard waste. Somebody is always burning something in this screwy pyromaniac town. Every day almost someone is burning something and fouling the air.
11:05 AM: Faint leaf smoke. Someone somewhere is burning leaves. I can hear leaf blowers running at this time. 44 degrees and sunny.
12:15 PM: Very faint leaf smoke continues.
3:00 PM: No smoke of any kind. Fresh air! People have probably taken a break from polluting the air to watch the big Vikings-Green Bay Packers game coming on shortly. 55 degrees at this time.
5:50 PM: Moderate leaf and or wood smoke. It does not smell much like wood, but kind of does. It sort of smells like burning leaves, too. Whatever it is, it smells horrible and as strong as it is, the burner must not be more than a block or two away. It's smoky outside. 55 degrees at this time and dark.
7:00 PM: No smoke of any kind. Wonderful fresh air!
11:15 PM: Light wood smoke. I went to sleep early today, after 7 PM. I woke up and checked the air on my way back to bed. When I checked the air again at 2 AM it was fresh.
I considered going on hiatus until April since we are heading into the Winter months and smoky air is expected when it is cold. I am debating continuing this blog because it is smokier in the Summer months than it is in the Winter in the city of North St. Paul. Most people would expect it to be smokier in the Winter than in the summer. But that is not how it is around here. Last Winter, the air was smoky in the first half of the Winter regularly. By the second half of the Winter, wood smoke pollution dropped dramatically. Wood smoke pollution increased in the Spring as the weather warmed enough for people to have bonfires. This past Summer was a miserable smoky hell.
I have formed a theory that people aren't using fireplaces for home heating as much as they are for recreational purposes. I may continue this blog to document the smoky air in the winter to prove that Summer is smokier than Winter. I have not finalized a decision. I'm getting a little tired of trying to remember to check the air every few hours. Documenting the horrible air pollution in North St. Paul is not as fun as you may think.