Here’s why it smells in the Twin Cities on Thursday

MN weather: Warm and windy, then tumbling temps

Thursday will see highs in the 60s and plenty of wind. But then a cold front moves in, and temperatures will tumble by later Thursday.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - There’s a stink across the Twin Cities metro Thursday afternoon. So what is it?

The explanation is pretty simple: The smell can happen in the fall as farmers spray their fields with fertilizer (essentially liquid manure in most cases) before the ground freezes.

Wind speed and direction play a role in who smells it. As gusty winds of 40+ mph are blowing from the southwest, it’s bringing the manure smell along with it.

Despite the unpleasant smell, the air quality remains in the good to moderate category for the Twin Cities metro, so there’s no need to panic.

To view the latest air quality conditions, visit the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency website here.