Air Quality Alert for Missoula and Butte Areas
The valleys of Montana are susceptible to temperature inversions which we're experiencing now. These inversions essentially trap particulates in the valleys, causing poor air quality.
According to the National Weather Service:
THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR DEER LODGE... FLATHEAD... GRANITE... LAKE... LINCOLN... MINERAL... MISSOULA... POWELL... RAVALLI... SANDERS AND SILVER BOW COUNTIES IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.
- THIS IS DUE TO STRONG TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS IN VALLEYS ACROSS WESTERN MONTANA.
- AIR QUALITY IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY.
- MANY COUNTIES HAVE LOCAL INDOOR AND OUTDOOR BURNING RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE.
- AN AIR QUALITY ALERT MEANS THAT PARTICULATES HAVE BEEN TRENDING UPWARDS AND THAT EXCEED THE 24 HOUR NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARD (NAAQS) HAS OCCURRED OR MAY OCCUR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
- PARTICULATE LEVELS IN SEELEY LAKE ARE UNHEALTHY.
- PARTICULATE LEVELS IN MISSOULA ARE UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS.
- 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.
- IN SILVER BOW COUNTY CALL 406-723-9218 FOR LOCAL AIR QUALITY INFORMATION.
- IN LINCOLN COUNTY CALL 406-293-5644 FOR LOCAL AIR QUALITY INFORMATION.
- IN MISSOULA COUNTY VISIT CALL 406- 258-3600 FOR LOCAL AIR QUALITY INFORMATION.
- FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AT TODAYSAIR.MT.GOV.