...AIR QUALITY ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 2 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON... This product is relayed from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION Division of Air Quality AIR QUALITY ADVISORY VALID TIME: Tuesday June 28, 2022 8:00 AM to Friday July 1, 2022 2:00 PM, advisory will be issued until end of the event. TIME/DATE OF THE NEXT REPORT: Friday July 1, 2022 2:00 PM, if needed. ADVISORY: Smoke from the fires in Central Alaska is starting to make its way over the Alaska Range and into South Central Alaska. Northern Susitna and Copper River Valleys are the first to see impacts to smoke. Later today, smoke from the Southwestern fires will begin to move east over Lake Iliamna and into the Cook Inlet. Smoke will flow up the inlet into the lower Susitna Valley. South Central Alaska will see an increase in smoke thru Wednesday evening, wind directions change for Thursday, but the region will continue to have impacts to air quality and visibility for the next few days. Air Quality will vary between GOOD and UNHEALTHY depending on wind flow and proximity to the fires. In the image below, highlighted yellow area, is the forecasted impacted area associated with this advisory. See the table below for more guidance on the Air Quality Categories and Cautionary Statements. Be aware that areas immediately downwind of any fire will experience HAZARDOUS levels of smoke. Generally, worse conditions occur overnight and during the early morning hours, as the atmosphere cools and brings smoke to the surface. During the day, surface heating will mix smoke and carry it upwards, temporarily improving air quality. SMOKE AND PUBLIC IMPACT: This is an area forecast, and as such is a general forecast for portions of Southwestern Interior Alaska. Smoke intensity will vary depending on precise location and local wind flow patterns. Smoke concentrations will be such that they could impact public health at times. It is advised that travelers check local weather as smoke conditions may vary considerably from one locality to the next. The most recent weather observations for the surrounding impacted areas may be found on the Federal Aviation Administration Weather Cams homepage at https://weathercams.faa.gov/. In smoke impacted areas, DEC advises people with respiratory or heart disease, the elderly and children should avoid prolonged exertion; everyone else should limit prolonged exertion. The following table contains the cautionary statements for the Air Quality for Particle Pollution. FOR MORE INFORMATION: For information on this advisory, contact Mark Smith with the Division of Air Quality at 907-269-7676.
