MINNEAPOLIS — Although the weather has been beautiful lately, last year's summer of smoke — which blanketed our skyline in a haze — is still on some minds."I'd go out for walks like we are today and it was really difficult,

Last year's wildfire-fueled smoke show was "brutal," said Gov. Tim Walz. The Pollution Control Agency expects at least 7 air-quality alerts this summer. There were 52 alerts last summer.

But air quality should be far better than it was last year, when raging fires prompted a record 21 alerts for hazardous air across Minnesota, state forecasters said Thursday. Meteorologists expect parts of Minnesota and most of Canada to go through drought this spring and summer.

Air quality in Minnesota this year is expected to be slightly worse than average but still better than last year’s record-breaking numbers, according to the latest forecast from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.