This Christmas the Susquehanna Valley and our Cumberland Valley experienced severely elevated air pollution levels for 3 days.
If you did not notice, it is likely because you were holiday prepping and not outside, or exercising out of doors.
The temperature inversions discussed in this article happen here as well. According to the article the unseasonably warm weather during the winter season can trap cooler air beneath it. When this occurs, the air becomes stagnant, and is not blown away. Being in a valley makes this phenomenon even worse. This year we were in the purple air quality range with particulate matter readings around 150 on the Airnow.gov scale.
There were multiple readings on many air monitors in our valley that were consistently elevated, making this finding reliable and accurate.
Action steps….Do all you can to decrease global warming. Live green, plant a tree, and be mindful of your air quality on warm days in the winter. On warm winter days, if it is not windy, your air quality will likely be very poor. Look at the www.airnow.gov website and find out what the air is doing in your local area. If air pollution is high, think twice about exerting yourself under those conditions.
