Air Quality Forecast

December 18 – December 22: Conditions on Thursday will remain dry as high pressure leaves the region.  Beginning Friday, low-pressure and the resulting cold front will likely bring substantial precipitation to Northern California and the Central Coast for the remainder of the forecast period.  The first round of rain will begin on Friday, with most of the precipitation impacting regions north of the Central Coast.  The second round should begin on Sunday and last through Monday morning into the afternoon.  This event will be much more impactful with projected rain totals for the Santa Cruz mountains exceeding 3”.  Beyond that, it looks like the holidays will remain wet as precipitation continues for the immediate future. Temperatures will range from the mid-50s to the low-60s at the coast and mid-40s to the mid-60s inland. Ozone levels should remain below State standards; therefore, ozone AQIs will remain GOOD. Moist conditions will keep PM10 (dust) AQIs in the Salinas Valley at GOOD as well. As low pressure progresses, expect an improvement in ventilation.  This will help maintain PM2.5 AQIs (smoke) at NORMAL levels.

Particulate Matter Sensor Network

 

Regulatory Air Monitoring Stations