Current Air Quality & Forecast
Air Quality Forecast
February 5 – February 9: Low pressure as we approach the weekend should bring a cooling trend to the Central Coast that will last until at least mid-week next week. Along with the low, chances of precipitation will begin Friday and culminate on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning at 50%. While more impactful than anything we’ve seen in the last few weeks, precipitation accumulation will more than likely total only 0.5” in the Santa Cruz Mountains and Santa Lucias. Along with the low pressure, an improvement in ventilation should allow for decent daytime atmospheric mixing and an improvement in AQIs region wide. Temperatures will range from the mid-40s to the mid-70s at the coast and low-40s to high-70s inland. Ozone levels should remain below State standards; therefore, ozone AQIs will remain GOOD. Moisture should keep PM10 (dust) AQIs in the Salinas Valley at GOOD as well. As low pressure enters the region, decent ventilation should help clear out any PM2.5 (smoke). That being said, AQIs could reach into the MODERATE-UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS range. This is especially true for the San Lorenzo Valley where woodsmoke usage due to cooler conditions can exacerbate air quality.
Particulate Matter Sensor Network