U.S. Air Quality

Scattered Code Yellow AQI continues; Unknown Aerosols over northern Plain States

Code Yellow PM2.5 AQI were measured today throughout the Southwest, Central Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast states, while Code Yellow Ozone values remained more isolated over southern California and Nevada (top left, courtesy AIRNow). MODIS RGB overlaid with AOD imagery from the Terra satellite indicates elevated AOD over the northern Plains (top right) and according to the HMS analysis team, this area of unknown aerosol may be dust/sand originating from Asia. The HMS Smoke and Fire Analysis shows a huge swath of what is believed to be smoke from prescribed agriculture fires in Mexico. The smoke is stretching northward from Texas through Minnesota (bottom left) so there is a chance the unknown aerosol contains this remnant smoke. The NRL NAAPS model suggests both smoke from Mexico and dust impacting the northern and southern Plain states as well, making a strong argument the observed raised AOD is most likely the result of a combination of the two (bottom right).