Air Quality Forecasting

Email: Dan Salkovitz or Kristen Stumpf or Mike Kiss

Current estimated air quality index and forecasts by region

During certain times of the day and/or periods of the year when ozone or PM-2.5 concentrations are low, pollutants such as NO₂ (nitrogen dioxides), CO (carbon monoxide), or SO₂ (sulfur dioxide) may be the primary pollutant. Generally, that will occur when NO₂, CO, or SO₂ concentrations are in the good, or, at worst, moderate range.

Forecast discussion

The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) air quality forecasting web site,
http://www.deq.virginia.gov/Programs/Air/AirQualityForecasting.aspx, may be down from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Please see
http://airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.local_state&stateid=48&tab=0 to view current conditions and forecasts at that time.

Additionally, DEQ air quality data will not be available on Wednesday, May 29, 2013 from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm due to server and router upgrades at Sutron Meteostar, the contractor who polls our air quality monitors and posts the data on our web page and on Airnow.gov.

Dan Salkovitz
Daniel.Salkovitz@deq.virginia.gov
DEQ Meteorologist

Forecasts updated May 20, 2013 2:55 pm EDT.

Region	Current conditions as of May 21, 2013 4:39 am EDT		Forecast for May 21, 2013		Forecast for May 22, 2013
Region	Estimated Air Quality Index	Primary Pollutant	Forecast	Primary Pollutant	Forecast	Primary Pollutant
Richmond	Good - 18	PM2.5	Good	O3	Good	O3
Hampton Roads	Good - 16	O3	Good	O3	Good	O3
Northern Virginia	Good - 16	PM2.5	Moderate	PM2.5	Good	O3
Roanoke	Good - 4	NO2	Good	O3	Good	O3
Winchester	Good - 21	PM2.5	Moderate	PM2.5	Moderate	PM2.5

Air Quality Index

Sign up to receive air quality forecasts and health alerts by email. Go to DEQcast to begin.
You can also receive updates for the Washington, DC metro area from Clean Air Partners.

Air Quality History - Ozone at Unhealthy Levels

About Air Quality

Virginia DEQ monitors level of ozone and particle pollution from stations around Virginia. Both of these are pollutants that, at high levels, may raise health concerns in some people.

Ground-level ozone is the main ingredient in smog. It is a colorless gas formed by the reaction of sunlight with vehicle emissions, gasoline fumes, solvent vapors, and power plant and industrial emissions. Ozone formation is most likely in hot, dry weather when the air is fairly still.

Particle pollution monitoring is now available on the web for select areas in Virginia. Particle pollution is made up of particles found in soot, dust, smoke, and fumes. The burning of coal, oil, diesel, and other fuels produces these particles. The particles are small enough to enter deep into the lungs and cause health problems.

Ozone and particle pollution have been links to short-term health concerns, particularly among children, asthmatics, people with heart or lung disease, and older adults. The effects of these pollutants can be minimized by avoiding strenuous activity or exercise when levels are high. You can use the forecast for the following day to plan your activities during the summer months. More information on the health effects of air pollutants is available from AirNow.

What Can I Do?

Be aware. Keep an eye on the pollutant levels and forecasts for your area.
When levels are high, stay inside if you can. Avoid strenuous outdoor activity.
Help keep pollutant levels low by avoiding unnecessary fuel consumption. Use carpools and fuel-efficient vehicles.
Avoid the use of any other gasoline engines, such as mowers and other lawn equipment, or boat motors.
Save power by turning off lights and appliances when they are not needed.
Avoid burning yard debris or brush.

For More Information...

Regional Air Quality Action Programs

PLEASE NOTE: This data has not been verified by the Virginia DEQ and may change. This is the most current data, but it is not official until it has been certified by our technical staff. Data is collected from Virginia DEQ ambient monitoring sites and may include data collected by other outside agencies. This data is updated hourly. All times shown are in local standard time unless otherwise indicated.