>> Cathy: GLAD YOU'RE WITH US.

THIS IS "ALMANAC."

ECONOMISTS BREAK DOWN EFFECTS FROM WILDFIRES AND THE IRAN WAR.

TONIGHT, MEASLES AT A RECORD HIGH -- MIKE OSTERHOLM IS HERE.

DR.

MARK DEPAOLIS HAS AN ESSAY.

ERIC NELSON MAKES HIS RESPONSIBILITIES COMMENTATOR DEBUT.

AND A POLITICAL PANEL IS WAITING ON THE COUCH WITH JUST OVER TWO WEEKS UNTIL PRIMARIES.

>> ERIC: BUT WE START TONIGHT WITH WILDFIRES.

FEDERAL OFFICIALS ARE ASSESSING THE ONGOING FIRES IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA INCLUDING THE BOUNDARY WATERS CANOE AREA.

U.S.

FOREST SERVICES SIGNALED SOME HOPE FOR ENTRY POINTS TO OPEN AS SOON AS JULY 30TH, BUT CONDITIONS COULD CHANGE.

HERE WITH US NOW FROM SUPERIOR HERE IN PERSON FROM THE MINNESOTA POLLUTION CONTROL AGENCY, METEREOLOGIST MATT TARALDSEN.

HE ALSO REACHED OUT -- WE ALSO REACHED OUT TO MINNESOTA SIGNAL FOREST'S TOM HALL.

WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST WEATHER CONDITIONS GOING ORWARD?

>> BASICALLY WHAT WE HAD THE PAST WEEK HAS REALLY HELPED.

THE COOLER, WETTER TEMPERATURES -- OR COOLER TEMPERATURES AND WETTER CONDITIONS REALLY HELPED THE FOREST FIRE EFFORTS.

AND SO WE GOT LUCKY THE PAST WEEK.

BUT, YOU KNOW, GOING INTO THE NEXT WEEK, WE HAVE THE EXTREME HEAT WARNING OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA, HEAT ADVISORIES OVER NORTHERN MINNESOTA, ND SO WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BACK INTO AN ACTIVE PERIOD.

>> Cathy: ALTHOUGH I SEE THERE'S SOME GOOD RAIN HERE AFTER MIDNIGHTS.

IT'S OVERNIGHT CHGHT THE HUMIDITY'S USUALLY A LITTLE HIGHER.

>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.

BUT OF COURSE IT'S COMING IN THE FORM OF THUNDERSTORMS.

AND SO ON THE TRADEOFF WE HAVE POTENTIAL LIGHTNING IGNITIONS.

THE FOREST SERVICE HAS BEEN GOOD ABOUT ENCOURAGE TING WISHING THE FIRES.

>> SOMEBODY ASKED ME JUST YESTERDAY ABOUT THE WILDFIRES AND THEY WERE SPARKED BY LIGHTNING.

SO HOW DOES THAT BALANCE OUT?

>> USUALLY, WHEN WE HAVE A THUNDERSTORM THAT GOES THROUGH, YOU'LL GET A LITTLE BIT OF RAIN FOR A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.

AND SO THE FIRES WILL KIND OF TAMPER DOWN IN THEIR INTENSITY, BUT AS THINGS GET WARM AGAIN, THEY BUMP RIGHT BACK UP.

>> Eric: WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY FOR THIS EXTENDING INTO THE WINTER SEASON?

>> AT LEAST THE FIRES >> AT LEAST THE FIR FIRES BURNI, VERY HIGH.

OUR PARTNERS HAVE TOLD US THAT THE FIRES ARE LIKELY TO BURN UNTIL THE SNOW PUTS THEM ON.

THEY'RE BURNING ON OR SLIGHTLY WE LOW THE GROUND.

FROM THE AIR QUALITY PERSPECTIVE, THOSE FIRES DON'T LOFT A LOT OF SMOKE.

IT WON'T BE THE RAGING INFERNO THAT WE HAD LAST WEEK.

>> Cathy: YOU SPECIALIZE IN AIR QUALITY, AND THAT WAS JUST HORRIFIC LAST WEEK.

PEOPLE IN DULUTH, UP THE SHORE, INLAND, EVEN DOWN HERE IN THE TWIN CITIES.

IT WAS JUST TERRIBLE.

WHEN YOU SAW THOSE AIR QUALITY INDEX READINGS THAT WERE LIKE 1,000 AROUND ELY, WHAT DID YOU SAY?

>> I WAS SHOCKED.

WE WERE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE WHAT EVEN THE MODELS WERE PREDICTING.

AND WHEN YOU GET INTO THIS KIND OF, LIKE, CRAZY TAIL F, YOU KNOW, RECORD-BREAKING TERRITORY, IT'S REALLY HARD TO KEEP UP.

SO WE WENT HAZARDOUS, FIRST THROUGH THE ARROWHEAD.

FORECASTING A RECORD IS ALWAYS SCARY.

BUT IT VERIFIED AND IT VERIFIED REALLY ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.

>> Eric: WAS IT A >> Eric: WAS IT AIDE COMBO OF MINNESOTA AIR QUALITY AND CANADIAN AIR QUALITY?

>> I WOULD SAY SO.

THE FIRES IN MINNESOTA WERE REALLY THE MAIN CULPRIT, BUT REALLY THAT MIXED WITH LAKE SUPERIOR -- IT'S VERY COLD AND THE LITTLE PARTICLES THAT ARE IN FIRE ATTRACT WATER VICE VICE.

AND THEN THE LAKE KIND OF PUSHES IT IN AND HOLDS IT.

BOTH IN ITS LOCATION AND AT THE SURFACE.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE SAW IN DULUTH, WEST DULUTH WAS ACTUALLY EXCEEDED THE RECORD BY ALMOST DOUBLE.

>> Cathy: HOW IS AIR QUALITY UP THERE RIGHT NOW?

>> IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD.

MOST OF THE SMOKE WE'VE HAD HAS BEEN FROM FIRES ALL THE WAY UP IN THE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES.

SO THE FIRES IN MINNESOTA ARE SMOLDERING, WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF WIND TO PUSH THE SMOKE AROUND AND THE FIRES AREN'T LOFTING A LOT OF SMOKE.

>> Cathy: SO MONDAY, IT'LL BE PARTS OF THE BWCA WILL BE OPEN FOR DAY USE.

AND I'M WONDERING, FROM YOUR STANDPOINT AS A METEOROLOGIST, IS THAT A PRETTY GOOD MOVE GIVEN THE CONDITIONS?

>> I THINK SO, YEAH.

IT'S SOMETHING WE'RE WATCHING VERY CAREFULLY, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY ISSUE AN AIR QUALITY ALERT SHOULD WE SEE CONDITIONS START TO SPARK UP.

IF PEOPLE DO HAVE PLANS UP THERE, KEEP AN EYE ON THE FORECAST, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S PAGE.

IF YOU ARE IN THE BOUNDARY WATERS, YOU HAVE THE WEATHER RADIO.

SO YOU CAN GET THAT ALERT THAT WAY.

>> Eric: TREMENDOUS.

WELL, YOU HANDLED HIS VERY WELL.

WE HOPED TO GET THE FOREST SERVICE.