Air Quality Alert for Southern Gallatin County, West Yellowstone

Colder temperatures and rain are in the forecast but area wildfires are wreaking havoc on the air quality around West Yellowstone this weekend.

According to the National Weather Service:

THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY HAS ISSUED AN AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR GALLATIN COUNTY UNTIL 900 AM ON MONDAY SEPTEMBER 12th DUE TO NEARBY WILDFIRE ACTIVITY.

• SIGNIFICANT AIR QUALITY IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF GALLATIN COUNTY NEAR YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK.
• AN APPROACHING COLD FRONT SHOULD DECREASE FIRE ACTIVITY AND LEAD TO IMPROVEMENT OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
• 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 WEST YELLOWSTONE ARE HAZARDOUS. 
• WHEN AIR QUALITY IS HAZARDOUS, STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS RECOMMEND THAT EVERYONE SHOULD AVOID ANY OUTDOOR EXERTION.
• PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY OR HEART DISEASE, THE ELDERLY AND CHILDREN SHOULD REMAIN INDOORS.