Air Quality Warning as Fireplaces Smoke Out Phoenix

Staff Writer, Nathaniel Diaz 

Weather / Air Quality
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Air Quality for the next couple of days will be unhealthy and a challenge for those individuals with respiratory illnesses while everyone uses their fireplaces for festivities instead of necessity.

Forecast Discussion: The ridge off the west coast continues to influence our region bringing stable conditions. We have also seen drier air move into the area over the last 24 hours which will allow cooler minimum temperatures and stronger morning inversions. This will further help to trap particulates and increase their concentrations. The atmospheric stability along with increased burning activity associated with Christmas means today and Christmas will likely see concentrations of PM-2.5. The forecast for Christmas day was slightly more challenging due to some expected winds. A trough will be moving through the area tomorrow afternoon which will help with ventilation; however I expect light winds in the morning hours and PM-2.5 concentrations in the morning to be high enough that there will still be an exceedance even with some increased ventilation in the afternoon. I will admit that if winds are stronger than expected in the morning hours on Christmas, then PM-2.5 concentrations may be healthier than anticipated. Looking at the weather for the next few days, skies should be mostly sunny and temperatures will cool after the trough passes. Still no precipitation in the forecast due to the ridge that continues to sit off the west coast; hopefully we can get some strong enough lows to break down that ridge and bring us more rain.

There is a better way.

Turn off the fireplace and turn on Youtube: 8 HOURS ✰ Best Fireplace HD 1080p video ✰ Relaxing fireplace sound ✰ Christmas fire, Full HD. Festivities saved.

You may just save a life. 


Source: Airnnow

Weather and Air Quality Forecast for the Next Ten Days

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

Weather / Air Quality
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 It's up and down for the next ten days. From 90's to mid 70's on Saturday, then a brief stint in the 80's and straight toward 99 degrees by May 1st. All the while, breezy to windy conditions will remain in the forecast as brush fire conditions are ripe throughout Arizona.

Forecast Discussion: It's going to be a little breezy later Tuesday night with some residual winds into early Wednesday and again Wednesday afternoon. We are not expecting any dust from this event, but local ozone concentrations will likely reach the middle to upper Moderate range at multiple Valley locations Tuesday. Atmospheric mixing will break up the ozone plume Wednesday resulting in lower overall concentrations. Conditions improve and temperatures warm once again Thursday and Friday to around 90°F. We're keeping an eye on the next system. This one will be much larger, bringing some potential moisture to the deserts Saturday. Again, southwest winds could push 20 mph at times, but dust does not appear to be an issue, especially if the system is accompanied with moisture. The biggest change will be temperatures. Phoenix may struggle to reach 75°F on Saturday. That would be about 13 degrees below normal. For now, expect air quality levels to improve after Wednesday, with ozone possible edging higher on Friday.

Source: AIRNow,

Do You Smell Rain?

Staff Writer, DL Mullan

Weather / Air Quality
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Low pressure systems keep passing to the north and creating wind events with lower temperatures. There might be a possibility of precipitation if a cold front strengths and dips into our state over the weekend. Fingers crossed for some rain.

Forecast Discussion: Mostly sunny skies will continue through the middle of the week, even with yet another spring-time disturbance expected to clip Arizona late Tuesday into Wednesday. This system will cool temperatures about 10 degrees, into the middle 80s by Wednesday. It will be dry. However, we do no anticipate any significant dust. Thus, PM10 levels may edge closer to the Moderate range Tuesday, but ultimately should resume good levels Wednesday. Ozone concentrations will move higher through Tuesday ahead of the system, aided by some import from the west. Levels, however, should climb no higher than the middle Moderate range on Tuesday. Conditions overall improve Wednesday afternoon through Friday. Then there is a much colder system waiting to possibly bring rain to our forecast areas on Saturday.

Source: AIRNow