DEP extends Code Red Air Quality Alert to June 29
| A(n) Air Quality Action Day has been declared for Susquehanna Valley Area, PA, on Thursday, Jun 29 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tomorrow’s Forecast | ||||
| Thursday, Jun 29: | 178 AQI | Unhealthy |  | Particle Pollution (2.5 microns) |
| 85 AQI | Moderate |  | Ozone | |
| Extended Forecast | ||||
| Friday, Jun 30: | 100 AQI | Moderate | | Particle Pollution (2.5 microns) |
| 93 AQI | Moderate | | Ozone | |
Current Conditions as of 2 PM on Wednesday: A departing area of low pressure and an area of high pressure building over the region have created conditions that are transporting smoke southward from wildfires in eastern Canada into the region. As a result, air quality conditions have become quite poor across the area since early this morning. Unfortunately, unhealthy levels of air quality will continue Thursday and at least early Friday before unsettled weather returns to help at least temporarily improve conditions through the weekend. *** Thursday’s Forecast: Wildfire smoke will continue to blanket the region on Thursday leading to another day with unhealthy levels of air quality. Warmer air lifting northward aloft will contribute to the development of another overnight temperature inversion. How strong this inversion becomes will be dependent on how cool overnight temperatures at the surface become. High pressure will provide minimal cloud cover which is typically favorable for better radiational cooling during the overnight hours. A layer of wildfire smoke, however, can sometimes act like a blanket of cloud cover over the region, thus limiting that radiational cooling to some degree. Whether it is a strong inversion or weak inversion that develops tonight, the result will still be unhealthy levels of air quality with concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM-2.5) remaining elevated. Winds look to be light for the day so even after the temperature inversion breaks during the morning hours mixing will be very limited. A CODE RED Air Quality Action Day is declared for Thursday for PM-2.5 due to smoke from the Canadian wildfires. * Current air quality monitoring data for the Susquehanna Valley Area and other locations across Pennsylvania can be found at the EPA’s AirNow Interactive Map. |
