Code Orange Air Quality Alert for Wednesday

The North Carolina Division of Air Quality has issued a Code Orange Air Quality Alert for Wednesday. 

Wednesday will begin a stretch of increasingly hot temperatures as the mid-level trough over the eastern U.S. flattens out and high pressure from both the southwest U.S. and Bermuda dominate the area. As previously mentioned, this means any smoke from the Canadian wildfires will be mostly cutoff from the southern U.S., but the stagnating air mass, light winds and sunshine are a major concern for ground-level ozone formation. As a result, the North Carolina Division of Air Quality is issuing a Code ORANGE Air Quality Action Day effective from 10AM to 8PM Wednesday in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Catawba, Iredell, Rowan, Cabarrus, Union, and Stanly Counties and effective from 7PM Wednesday to 7AM Thursday for the Ridge Tops. Ozone levels could rise into the mid-to-upper Code Yellow range elsewhere. Fine particulate levels will likely be in the Code Yellow range statewide Wednesday.

With a lack of any significant forcing and continued dominance of high pressure from the surface to upper levels, expect air quality to gradually worsen through at least Friday. Code Orange ozone concentrations in and around Charlotte could persist through Friday. Fine particulates will likely be in the low-mid Code Yellow range statewide through Friday. These extended forecasts will be fine-tuned in the coming days.

Stay with Rowan County Weather in the coming days for up-to-date Air Quality and weather updates.