Air Quality Expected to Improve

By Eagle Times Staff
Weather and air quality conditions across the region are expected to improve today.

Warnings were up across the area Sunday for individuals sensitive to poor air quality, causing at least one group to rethink its Fourth of July plans.

Rated from good to hazardous, the six-level, 500-point federal air quality index seeks to inform the public of how clean or polluted the air is, and what associated health effects might be a concern, especially for ground-level ozone and particle pollution. An Air Quality Index value of 50 represents good air quality with little potential to affect public health, while an index value over 300 represents hazardous air quality.

In New Hampshire on Sunday, Claremont, Keene and Lebanon scored between 103 and 105 on the index placing the cities in the Orange, or “unhealthy for sensitive groups category.” The remainder of the state scored between 55 and 80 on the index placing most residents in the Yellow, or “Moderate,” category.

Tomorrow, air quality across most of New Hampshire is expected to be good, with only Portsmouth falling into the moderate category.

Air quality was slightly worse in Vermont on Sunday, with cities in the Eastern portion of the state at 109 on the scale. Conditions are expected to improve today.

Because of the air-quality alert, the Racial Healing Group has moved its Reading of Frederick Douglass’ “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” across Broad Street to Trinity Church in Claremont.

Weather

While air quality concerns aren’t at the top of most resident’s concerns, if today’s rain will continue into the Fourth probably is.

According to the National Weather Service, area residents can expect a chance of thunderstorms into the evening with humid conditions and highs in the upper 70s this afternoon and lows in the mid 60s tonight. The chance of rain 50 percent.

On Independence Day, expect patchy fog in the morning before becoming partly sunny with a chance of showers and thunderstorms. It will be humid with highs around 80 and a 50 percent chance of rain. For Tuesday night’s fireworks, expect a a chance of showers and thunderstorms in the evening with lows in the mid 60s. The chance of rain 50 percent.

The Air Quality Index is maintained by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Park Service, National NASA, Centers for Disease Control, and tribal, state and local air quality agencies. For more information, and for current conditions and air-quality forecasts, visit airnow.gov.