U.S. Air Quality

Scattered Moderate AQI; Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups in Oregon and Southern California

Scattered Code Yellow (Moderate) AQI were recorded today across the Southeast and Pacific Northwest states, and large portion of the Northern Plain and Mississippi Valley states (top left, courtesy AIRNow). Southern Oregon and California experienced the worst air quality conditions, reaching Code Orange (Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups) by late afternoon. According to the HMS analysis team, fires are still active across the Southeast. Today's MODIS Terra RGB 'true color' imagery suggests light smoke around the periphery of east Texas fires (top right) and a snapshot of Terra AOD shows slightly elevated AOD nearby as well (bottom left). As parts of the eastern seaboard still try to recover from the devastation left behind from Hurricane Sandy's wrath, the threat for another storm brining high winds, heavy precipitation and an arctic air mass is adding insult to injury. As Ray mentioned this weekend, meteorologists are monitoring the possible development of a 'Nor'easter' type storm impacting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by mid-week. Although the severity of this event will depend on the storm's proximity to the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast coastline as it tracks along the eastern seaboard, an arctic airmass plunging south is forecast to bring below normal temperatures (2 meter above ground) ranging from the upper 20s to 40s degree Fahrenheit and will be difficult to manage for those still without power (bottom right).