Air Pollution Forecast and Caution – A Primer

When air quality degrades to levels that are likely to affect your health the Department of Environmental Quality will announce this to the public using the Air Pollution Forecast and Caution tool. I'll drop an image below of what the announcements will look like. Look for these here, the DEQ Twitter account, and on our DEQ Facebook page.

An Air Pollution Forecast and Caution is a tool that the DEQ uses to let the public know that smoke concentrations have reached or are forecasted to reach and persist at levels likely to affect your health. The message will be posted on this blog There was a fairly lengthy period last summer that saw one region or another of the state with a Forecast and Caution issued or extended. One weekend in late August the entire state had been issued an Air Pollution Forecast and Caution.

The Forecast and Caution includes specific warnings and advice to those most likely to feel health impacts from smoke. It also prohibits intentional open burning on state and federal lands until the Forecast and Caution has been lifted. It is intended to help you make informed health decisions for the day AND limit further pollution buildup in the affected area. Use these along with your personal health history, the Air Quality Index, and visual observations to determine when to reduce or cancel your outdoor plans.