HARRISBURG, Pa. – The Department of Environmental Protection and its regional air quality partnerships have forecast a Code Orange air quality action day for ozone on Friday, May 27, for the following counties:
Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Berks, Bucks, Butler, Chester, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Fayette, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia, Washington, Westmoreland, and York.
We continue in a summer-like pattern as a ridge of high pressure dominates much of the east coast. This ridge will allow for partly sunny skies, light winds and temperatures to extend well into the 80s. Some spots could even hit 90 degrees. As a result of the sunny and warm conditions, ozone is expected to rise into the Code ORANGE range.
These elevated ozone levels could extend into Friday as we see another day filled with sunshine and warmth over the region. Afternoon thunderstorms will not help much in dropping elevated levels.
On air quality action days, young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems, such as asthma, emphysema, and bronchitis, are especially vulnerable to the effects of air pollution and should limit outdoor activities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s standardized air quality index uses colors to report daily air quality. Green signifies good; yellow means moderate; orange represents unhealthy pollution levels for sensitive people; and red warns of unhealthy pollution levels for all.
To help keep the air healthy, residents and business are encouraged to voluntarily restrict certain pollution-producing activities by:
- Refueling cars and trucks after dusk
- Setting air conditioner thermostats to a higher temperature
- Carpooling or using public transportation; and
- Combining errands to reduce trips.
These forecasts are provided in conjunction with Air Quality Partnerships for the Delaware Valley, Lehigh Valley-Berks, Susquehanna Valley, and the Southwest PA Air Quality Partnership.
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