U.S. Air Quality

Haze in the Southeast and Gulf Coast states, “unhealthy for sensitive groups” in California.

Haze is seen on today’s morning TERRA RGB image (top, left) over Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas. When taking a closer look (top, right), the image shows a large number of light smoke plumes. This is confirmed by today’s HMS map (bottom, left). According to the SSD fire team at NESDIS, an exceptional fire appeared in Vernon County, Louisiana, and produced a light to moderately dense plume of
smoke that extended East for 120 km. The smoke plume is, in deed, clearly visible on today’s afternoon AQUA RGB image (bottom, right) over Northern Texas.

The EPA AIRNow’s PM2.5 map (below, left) shows “moderate” air conditions over most of the area discussed above, Northern Florida, Kansas, Illinois and New Jersey. California still records, at the most, “unhealthy for sensitive groups” air conditions around Visalia, Bakersfield and Los Angeles. Some “moderate” air conditions are also seen in Oregon and Washington. In terms of Ozone levels (below, right), Northern Florida is the only area today showing “moderate” air conditions.