Air quality concerns may delay NFL game Sunday
By
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Sep 13, 2020 2:41 PM EST
Recent fires in Oregon left a thick covering of smoke over Portland on Sept. 10, that made visibility difficult and left the entire area with an orange glow.
Wildfires across California have deteriorated the air quality across much of the state for the past week, and may hold on long enough to postpone a home-opener NFL game.
A game taking place late Sunday afternoon was up in the air in regards to postponing due to air quality. The San Francisco 49ers ultimately made the decision to hold the game, hosting the Arizona Cardinals at Levi Stadium, an area that has been batting the poor air quality.
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ESPN reported that 49ers coach, Kyle Shanahan, raised concerns about whether the team would be able to play on Sunday because of the air quality after practicing under what he called "apocalyptic" skies on Wednesday. The air quality at practice on Friday was above 150, which is noted to be "unhealthy".
As of Sunday morning, air quality was still "unhealthy" in San Francisco. But below the 200 level, the game would have had to be rescheduled.
Smoke from wildfires fills the sky over Pasadena, Calif., in this view looking east down Colorado Boulevard on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. The air was categorized as unhealthy by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The National Weather Service said there were widespread smoke layers across the region. (AP Photo/John Antczak)
Meanwhile, the Sunday nighttime slot is set to feature the L.A Rams who will host the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium.
According to Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff's update on Saturday, "all indications are positive" that the game will be played as scheduled.
As of Sunday morning, the air quality was hovering just below 150, and designated as "unhealthy for sensitive groups" in the Los Angeles area.
Going forward, the threat for wildfires is likely to continue across California, but air quality looks to gradually get better.
"Air quality in downtown Los Angeles could become tolerable by Monday as onshore winds are expected to push any smoke in the region farther north and east," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo.
LoBiondo explained that onshore winds are thanks to improved air quality in downtown Los Angeles early week, and farther inland and in the foothills by midweek.
Even farther north, rain is forecast to reach parts of the Pacific Northwest and help lessen the wildfire and smoke impacts.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Weather News
Air quality concerns may delay NFL game Sunday
By Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Sep 13, 2020 2:41 PM EST
Recent fires in Oregon left a thick covering of smoke over Portland on Sept. 10, that made visibility difficult and left the entire area with an orange glow.
Wildfires across California have deteriorated the air quality across much of the state for the past week, and may hold on long enough to postpone a home-opener NFL game.
A game taking place late Sunday afternoon was up in the air in regards to postponing due to air quality. The San Francisco 49ers ultimately made the decision to hold the game, hosting the Arizona Cardinals at Levi Stadium, an area that has been batting the poor air quality.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
ESPN reported that 49ers coach, Kyle Shanahan, raised concerns about whether the team would be able to play on Sunday because of the air quality after practicing under what he called "apocalyptic" skies on Wednesday. The air quality at practice on Friday was above 150, which is noted to be "unhealthy".
As of Sunday morning, air quality was still "unhealthy" in San Francisco. But below the 200 level, the game would have had to be rescheduled.
Smoke from wildfires fills the sky over Pasadena, Calif., in this view looking east down Colorado Boulevard on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020. The air was categorized as unhealthy by the South Coast Air Quality Management District. The National Weather Service said there were widespread smoke layers across the region. (AP Photo/John Antczak)
Meanwhile, the Sunday nighttime slot is set to feature the L.A Rams who will host the Dallas Cowboys at SoFi Stadium.
According to Rams Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff's update on Saturday, "all indications are positive" that the game will be played as scheduled.
As of Sunday morning, the air quality was hovering just below 150, and designated as "unhealthy for sensitive groups" in the Los Angeles area.
Going forward, the threat for wildfires is likely to continue across California, but air quality looks to gradually get better.
Related:
"Air quality in downtown Los Angeles could become tolerable by Monday as onshore winds are expected to push any smoke in the region farther north and east," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo.
LoBiondo explained that onshore winds are thanks to improved air quality in downtown Los Angeles early week, and farther inland and in the foothills by midweek.
Even farther north, rain is forecast to reach parts of the Pacific Northwest and help lessen the wildfire and smoke impacts.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo