CINCINNATI — Skies are hazy again over the Greater Cincinnati region as wildfire smoke from Canada continue to cause unhealthy conditions.
An Air Quality alert is in effect for the Cincinnati metro area, Northern Kentucky and Dearborn County in Indiana until Tuesday.
The quality is considered "unhealthy for sensitive groups" because of the smoke particulates in the air, the EPA says.
In particular, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, pregnant women, children and teens should reduce exposure by choosing less strenuous activities or shortening the amount of time they are active outdoors.
Fine particles from the fires are causing the majority of the air pollutants in the Greater Cincinnati region; ozone is still at moderate levels.
The Southwest Ohio Air Quality Agency advises people to take the bus, carpool, bike or walk instead of drive, when they can. Other efforts that can help impact air quality includes refueling your vehicle after 8 p.m., refraining from idling your vehicle and avoiding using gasoline-powered lawn equipment.
What does the air quality index measure?
The index rates how clean or polluted the air is each day. The EPA uses this measure to keep tabs on five kinds of air pollutants. The main concern from the wildfire smoke is fine particle pollution, or PM2.5.
These particles are tiny enough to get deep into the lungs. They can cause short-term problems like coughing and itchy eyes, and in the long run, can affect the lungs and heart.
What do the numbers and colors mean?
The index runs from zero to 500. The higher the number, the worse the air quality. That range is broken down into six color-coded categories. Green or yellow — in the zero to 100 range — the air is pretty clear. Once it gets up to orange, the air quality could be a concern for sensitive groups like kids, older adults or those with health conditions.
In the red and purple zones, the air quality is considered unhealthy for everyone. And once it gets to maroon — at 301 or above — pollution levels are hazardous.
At these high levels, take precautions to avoid breathing in the dangerous air. That can mean reducing your outdoor activities, running air purifiers inside and wearing a well-fitting mask like an N95 when you’re outside.
What's the air like in my area now?
Check AirNow.gov, which updates every hour. The site shows a real-time map of the air quality across the country and also includes a forecast for the day ahead. The map pulls in measurements from a network of air monitoring stations across the country. States and cities may also offer more local guidance.
Will rain and storms impact the smoke?
Rain chances should help slightly with air quality. Rain typically results in less pollution since it washes away particulate matter and can also wash out pollutants. Another factor to monitor is wind speed. If winds pick up with storms, it should help clear things up a little bit. Air turbulence and mixing depth all affect how pollutants disperse, and the amount of wind seen from storms decides how much mixing you'll see. Regardless, it comes down to the jet stream, which could pull in more smoke from the northwest.
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