The Department of Environmental Protection has forecast a Code Orange Air Quality Action Day for ozone for Friday, January 24 in the Susquehanna (Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Lancaster, and York counties) and Lehigh Valley (Northampton, Berks, and Lehigh counties).
Meteorological conditions on January 24 will become very favorable for PM 2.5 to rise across areas of eastern Pennsylvania. A departing area of high pressure will provide very light winds across the region.
These light winds in combination with warmer air building aloft will allow a strong inversion to form across areas just east of the Appalachian Mountains.
As a result, the mixing of air near the surface will be limited, allowing the particles to become trapped near the surface and rise into the code ORANGE range.
An air quality action day, which is determined based on the forecasted air quality index, means air pollutants are at unhealthy levels for vulnerable populations.
On these days, young children, the elderly, and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.
To help keep the air healthy, residents and businesses are encouraged to voluntarily restrict certain pollution-producing activities by limiting the use of wood stoves/fireplaces in the overnight hours, setting thermostats to a lower temperature, and carpooling or using public transportation.
These forecasts are provided in conjunction with the Air Quality Partnership of Lehigh Valley-Berks.
These forecasts are provided in conjunction with the Air Quality Partnership of Lehigh Valley-Berks.
Visit DEP’s Air Quality Partnerships webpage for more information on air quality across Pennsylvania.
[Posted: January 23, 2020] PA Environment Digest
No comments :
Post a Comment