If you’re outside today, be advised you could feel the effects of air quality that weather experts say has entered “unhealthy” territory.
The National Weather Service is advising people in southern Wisconsin to stay indoors if they can Wednesday. Airborne pollution particles have reached levels here the Environmental Protection Agency considers “unhealthy” for long-term exposure.
That is mainly because a massive storm system on Tuesday pulled in a cold front, and that weather pattern pushed smoke from Canadian wildfires south and into the lower atmosphere. The pollutant particles in the air have degraded the air quality significantly here.
Monitors the Rock County Health Department has set in Jansesville and Beloit show a local air quality index Wednesday morning of 172. That is in among the worst air quality in the state, which jibes with the Weather Service’s earlier forecasts, and ranks in the “very unhealthy” range, according to EPA air standards.
Expect hazy air conditions at least through the rest of Wednesday morning and part of the afternoon. The Weather Service says if you’re outside, watch for signs of throat and lung irritation or shortness of breath, and shorten outdoor activities if necessary.
Forecasters expect the main factor, Canadian smoke, to gradually clear throughout the day Wednesday.
