Breathing high levels of ozone pollution can cause many harmful health effects such as chest tightness, shortness of breath, and may even trigger asthma attacks in people. DEC’s air pollution meteorologists monitor and forecast the Air Quality Index (AQI) on a daily basis to keep everyone updated on the quality of their air.
To forecast the AQI, meteorologists look at weather forecasts and examine the hourly ozone and particulate data from air monitoring stations across NYS. If the AQI is forecast to exceed a value of 100, an Air Quality Health Advisory will be issued for the affected areas recommending that sensitive groups take precautions. Stay aware of your local air quality by signing up to receive air quality alerts in your email box. To sign up, click here