Air Quality Report Sunday, September 1, 2013
Rim Fire, Stanislaus National Forest
Yesterday, August 31, 2013
Smoke from the Rim Fire settled into surrounding communities causing air quality impacts in the unhealthy to very unhealthy AQI range for most of the morning. Air quality improved by early afternoon in communities north and west of the fire, as westerly winds began to clear morning smoke inversions. Northwest transport winds gave the communities northeast of the fire, including Reno, Carson City, Markleeville, Minden, and the Lake Tahoe basin a break from smoke impacts. However, this change in winds brought the Yosemite Valley, El Portal, and the San Joaquin Valley higher impacts as the majority of the Rim fire’s smoke moved south.
Sunday, September 1, 2013
Smoke will again have the heaviest impacts to communities in the immediate fire area, such as Groveland, Tuolumne City, Pinecrest, Greeley Hill, Columbia, and Sonora, in the morning hours. Inversions may break a little earlier allowing smoke to begin clearing sooner. Daytime transport winds should be more southwesterly, reducing impacts to the Yosemite Valley, El Portal, and San Joaquin Valley, but likely returning smoke to the Washoe and Carson Valleys, Markleeville, and other communities northeast of the fire.
Long-range outlook
Southwest transport winds will dominate for the next several days. This should keep air quality in the Yosemite Valley and areas south of the fire in the good to moderate range. Areas north and northeast of the fire, including the Lake Tahoe Basin, and Washoe and Carson valleys will see higher impacts. Communities within the immediate fire area will continue to see intense morning smoke.
Site
|
24-hour Average PM2.5
(µg/m3)
|
3-hour Max PM2.5
(μg/mᵌ)
|
Level of Health Concern
|
Meaning
|
Actions to Protect Yourself
|
Forecast
For Sun.
Sept. 1, 2013
|
Good
|
Air quality is satisfactory and poses little or no health risk
|
None
| ||||
La Grange
Mariposa
Markleeville
Reno
|
24
20
5
26
|
80-10:00
48-09:00
32-18:00
60-21:00
|
Moderate
|
Air quality is acceptable for most. There may be moderate health concern for a small number of sensitive people.
|
Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.
|
La Grange
|
Columbia
|
44
|
183-12:00
|
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
|
Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.
|
People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion. Everyone else should limit prolonged or heavy exertion.
|
Markleeville
Reno
|
Pinecrest
Bear Valley
El Portal
Greeley Hill
Groveland
Tuol. City
|
87
64
89
64
115
132
|
308-05:00
223-08:00
267-16:00
305-11:00
409-10:00
396-08:00
|
Unhealthy
|
Everyone may begin to experience more serious health effects.
|
The following groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity: People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion.
|
Pinecrest
Bear Valley
El Portal
Columbia
|
Tuol. Mdws*
|
233*
|
421-16:00
|
Very Unhealthy
|
Triggers a health alert, meaning everyone may experience more serious health effects
|
Everyone should avoid any outdoor exertion; people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should remain indoors.
|
Tuol. City
Groveland
|
Drew Mdw ICP
|
428
|
999-10:00
|
Hazardous
|
Everyone may begin to experience more serious health effects.
|
People with heart or lung disease, children and older adults should avoid all physical outdoor activity. Everyone else should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion
|
Drew Mdw ICP
|
Air Quality Index (AQI) ratings are derived based on the recommendations found in Wildfire Smoke: A Guide for Public Health Officials.
*-Data did not meet quality control standards. Instruments tend to overestimate heavy smoke concentrations under low flow.
San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District: http://www.valleyair.org/Home.htm
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