Air Quality For Northern W.Va. Deemed Potentially Dangerous

Air Quality Index (AQI) values in West Virginia are expected to reach into the Red (Unhealthy) or Purple (Very Unhealthy) categories Friday, with a limited potential for Maroon (Hazardous) conditions for brief periods in isolated locations.  

This alert is caused by smoke from Canadian wildfires with smoke traveling across Detroit, Chicago and the Great Lakes before heading into the MidAtlantic region.  

The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) is encouraging residents to monitor air quality conditions.  

The AQI is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) tool for communicating about outdoor air quality and health. It includes six color-coded categories, each corresponding to a range of index values. The higher the AQI value, the greater the level of air pollution and the greater the health concern: 

Wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter, known as PM2.5, which can affect anyone, especially sensitive populations: children, older adults, pregnant individuals, and people with heart or lung conditions such as asthma or COPD. 

The National Weather Service forecasts thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening and into Saturday. They bring with them the chance of flash flooding but will improve the air quality as a cold front moves through.  

If air quality worsens, federal health guidance recommends reducing time outdoors and limiting strenuous physical activity, particularly if air quality reaches the unhealthy category or higher. Individuals who experience symptoms such as coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, or difficulty breathing should move indoors and seek medical attention if symptoms become severe. 

Residents can monitor current air quality conditions and forecasts by visiting www.AirNow.gov or by using the AirNow mobile app. 

WVDEP will continue working with the National Weather Service offices in the region to issue air quality alerts for affected areas of West Virginia as forecasts evolve.