Bozeman Area Air Quality Alert Lifted: Moderate For Now

The skies are still quite hazy on Tuesday around Bozeman but the Air Quality Alert has been lifted for now. As of Tuesday morning, the AQI improved to 87 but things can change quickly.

87 is considered 'Moderate' so you'll still notice the haze in the air. (Some parts of Montana are still faring far worse.)

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is used in the US to measure how unhealthy our air is. It's very easy to understand, by being numerical and color coded. The whole point is to read at-a-glance.

As you can see, there are drastic differences in Montana air quality on Tuesday.

• Bozeman, MT: Moderate at 87
• Helena, MT: Unhealthy at 157
• Missoula, MT: Unhealthy at 163
• Butte, MT: 126
• Flathead Valley: Unhealthy at 180
• Hamilton, MT: Unhealthy at 163
• Lewistown, MT: Unhealthy at 151
• Malta, MT: Moderate at 53
• Thompson Falls, MT: Unhealthy at 187

You can sign up for Air Quality Alerts via text or email with AirNow.gov.

The Clean Air Act established two types of national air quality standards:

• Primary standards set limits to protect public health, including the health of "sensitive" populations such as asthmatics, children, and the elderly.
• Secondary standards set limits to protect public welfare, which means protection against decreased visibility and harm to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings.
• The AQI is an index for reporting daily air quality. It tells you how clean or polluted your air is and what associated health effects might be a concern for you.
• How to reduce your exposure to wildfire smoke: Reduce other sources of indoor air pollution: smoking cigarettes, using gas, propane and wood-burning stoves and furnaces, spraying aerosol products, frying or broiling meat, burning candles and incense, and vacuuming can all increase particle levels in a home and should be avoided when wildfire smoke is present.