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DULUTH — Smoke from Canadian wildfires should not be a major problem for runners for the 47th Grandma’s Marathon series of events in Duluth on Friday and Saturday.

Forecasters say some smoke may still linger in the air over the weekend, but that most of it should stay higher in the atmosphere.

“There will still be smoke aloft, most likely, but the near-surface smoke should be much better than what we saw’’ on Wednesday, said Bryan Howell, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Duluth.

The begins at 6 p.m. Friday in Canal Park. On Saturday, the starts at 5:50 a.m. on Scenic Highway 61, between Two Harbors and Duluth, and begins at 7:35 a.m. just south of Two Harbors, also on Scenic Highway 61.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency forecasts a “moderate" air quality index for Saturday for Duluth, which means air quality is acceptable and should not pose breathing issues for most people.

Still, runners may notice some smoke smell, especially early in the day.

“The lowest air quality (Saturday) will likely be during the morning hours before a lake breeze develops around midday or early afternoon and helps clear things out along the shore,’’ Howell noted.

The National Weather Service in Duluth forecasts mostly sunny skies with easterly winds through Saturday. Temperatures will drop into the upper 40s for the earliest racers Saturday and will climb into the 70s by afternoon.

Winds will be easterly at 5-10 mph off Lake Superior, which may help push runners a little as they move mostly west toward downtown Duluth. There is no rain in the forecast until a 20% chance for Saturday night.

Smoke was thick in Duluth on Wednesday morning, then moved southwest across the state during the day, choking out the Twin Cities and producing some of the worst air pollution indexes since records have been kept.

Contributed / Minnesota Pollution Control Agency

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency on Thursday was reporting good air quality or only slight air quality issues for Northeastern Minnesota, with thick smoke still an issue in southern parts of the state, including the Twin Cities and south to Rochester, where air quality was still considered unhealthy for anyone outside.

An air quality advisory remained in effect for the southern half of Minnesota and parts of Wisconsin on Thursday. But as of Thursday morning, no advisories were in effect for northern Minnesota.