Montana Air Quality Alert Continues: Unhealthy Levels

Take your pick. It's all bad. Beaverhead, Big Horn, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Gallatin, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Madison, Meagher, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Rosebud, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Treasure, Toole, Wheatland, and Yellowstone counties.

The Bozeman area has been dealing with an Air Quality Index number in the 150s and 160s for the last couple of days...which is classified as "unhealthy".

Gallatin County is certainly not alone in the poor air department. Most of the state is under some sort of Air Quality Advisory or Alert.

According to the National Weather Service:

• WHAT: AIR QUALITY ALERT IN EFFECT: The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality alert for the following counties
• WHERE: Beaverhead, Big Horn, Broadwater, Carbon, Carter, Cascade, Chouteau, Custer, Deer Lodge, Fallon, Fergus, Gallatin, Glacier, Golden Valley, Granite, Jefferson, Judith Basin, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Madison, Meagher, Missoula, Musselshell, Park, Petroleum, Pondera, Powder River, Powell, Ravalli, Rosebud, Silver Bow, Stillwater, Sweet Grass, Teton, Treasure, Toole, Wheatland, and Yellowstone counties
• WHEN: This Alert is in effect until further notice
• WHAT'S HAPPENING: Air quality is unhealthy due to increasing particulate concentrations from local and regional fires
• An Air Quality Alert means that particulates have been trending upwards and that an exceedence of the 24 hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) has occurred or may occur in the near future.
• Particulate levels in Bozeman, Broadus, and Hamilton are Unhealthy.
• Particulate levels in Billings, Birney, Butte, Cut Bank, Dillon, Frenchtown, Great Falls, Helena, Lewistown, Malta, and Seeley Lake are Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups.
• Particulate levels in Missoula, Thompson Falls are Moderate.
• When air quality is Unhealthy: State and local health officials recommend that people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly, and children should avoid prolonged exertion; everyone else should limit prolonged exertion.
• When air quality is Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups: State and local health officials recommend that people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should limit prolonged exertion.
• When air quality is Moderate: State and local health officials recommend that unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion.
• For more information visit the Montana Department of Environmental Quality