June 20, 2008
Mostly Moderate AQ in the East, Code Purple in Atlanta, and unhealthy AQ in central and southern California
The eastern U.S (left image, UW MODIS RGB and EPA AIRNow PM2.5) was mostly in the moderate range, although unhealthy conditions were reached in a few locations. In Atlanta, Georgia the AirNow website currently (7:00 PM EST) reports an ozone AQI of 202 which is barely into the purple range (very unhealthy air quality). In the west coast, air quality worsened today and there were code red (unhealthy) air quality conditions in central California (Fresno) and in several locations in southern California (right image) due to ozone, including just east of LA and in the San Diego region. The PM2.5 levels were green to moderate in California, and skies look clear in the MODIS imagery. Meanwhile, haze levels in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia (the areas with the large fire activity we have been reporting on) seem to be decreasing, and I don't see smoke plumes today in the MODIS true color imagery.The NOAA HMS analysis reports that the smoke from the North Carolina fires is now primarily located offshore, so this should bring some relief to residents in those regions.
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