You can tell summer is getting closer; we are beginning to have some air quality problems in the Birmingham metro area. Yesterday’s AQI (air quality index) was 112, which is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, like people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children. The primary pollutant was particulates, with the highest concentration showing up at the North Birmingham air monitoring site. A very similar weather setup will be in place today, and ADEM and the Jefferson County Health Department have issued a code orange alert for today, meaning air quality is expected to be unhealthy again for sensitive groups.
As we get into the warmer summer months, air quality deteriorates in the Birmingham metro area (Jefferson and Shelby counties) and often ground level ozone is an issue on hot days with little wind. Air quality and ozone alerts are based on a color system: green means good air quality, yellow means moderate air quality, orange means unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, red represents unhealthy air for all of us, and purple suggests very unhealthy air quality. I have never known Birmingham to have a purple air quality day, thank goodness!
On orange and red alert days, we all can take actions to help improve air quality, like setting the thermostat a few degrees higher, reducing the number of trips you take in your car, avoiding drive through-windows during the middle of the day, and mowing the lawn late in the day as the sun is setting. The biggest help is getting cars and trucks off the road during the peak of the daytime heating process. We tend to have the largest number of air quality alerts in July and August, but it can be a problem anytime between now and October! We will keep you posted on air quality alerts here.
As we get into the warmer summer months, air quality deteriorates in the Birmingham metro area (Jefferson and Shelby counties) and often ground level ozone is an issue on hot days with little wind. Air quality and ozone alerts are based on a color system: green means good air quality, yellow means moderate air quality, orange means unhealthy air quality for sensitive groups, red represents unhealthy air for all of us, and purple suggests very unhealthy air quality. I have never known Birmingham to have a purple air quality day, thank goodness!
On orange and red alert days, we all can take actions to help improve air quality, like setting the thermostat a few degrees higher, reducing the number of trips you take in your car, avoiding drive through-windows during the middle of the day, and mowing the lawn late in the day as the sun is setting. The biggest help is getting cars and trucks off the road during the peak of the daytime heating process. We tend to have the largest number of air quality alerts in July and August, but it can be a problem anytime between now and October! We will keep you posted on air quality alerts here.
on April 19, 2005, 9:53 pm
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