U.S. Air Quality

“Unhealthy” around Los Angeles, smoke over Northern Texas and South Carolina

According to today’s EPA AIRNow’s PM2.5 map (top, left), air conditions are, at the most, “Unhealthy for sensitive groups” around Los Angeles (southern California). A closer look at the region shows conditions reached, in fact, “Unhealthy” levels earlier this afternoon. Among other areas, Northern California, Texas, Oklahoma, Georgia and Tennessee show a significant amount of “Moderate” conditions. Today’s HMS map (top, right) shows an important number of fires from Texas to the great lakes area as well as Georgia and South Carolina. On another hand, the ozone levels are mostly “good” except in southern California and Eastern Texas where they are “Moderate”.
Smoke originating from the fires described by the HMS map is clearly visible on the MODIS AQUA RGB image over northern Texas and Oklahoma (bottom, left) as well as other South Carolina and Georgia (bottom, right).