Air Quality Alert – South Coast AQMD


California

Air Quality Alert issued December 21 at 12:21PM PST by NWS Oxnard

…AIR QUALITY ALERT: MANDATORY WOOD-BURNING BAN IN EFFECT…

The South Coast AQMD has extended a mandatory wood-burning ban for residents in the South Coast Air Basin for Wednesday December 21st and Thursday December 22nd.

No-Burn days are declared to protect public health when levels of fine particulate air pollution in the region are forecast to be high.

Smoke from wood burning can cause health problems. Breathing high levels of pollution from wood smoke can cause breathing problems (including asthma attacks), worsened lung and heart disease symptoms, and may even increase emergency room visits and hospitalizations.

The No-Burn rule prohibits burning wood as well as manufactured fire logs, such as those made from wax or paper in any indoor or outdoor wood-burning device. This prohibition does not apply to communities above 3,000 ft in elevation, households that rely on wood as a sole source of heat, residences without nearby natural gas service, and low-income households.

To view current and forecasted air quality levels, visit the South Coast Air Quality Management District website at aqmd.gov or download the mobile app at aqmd.gov/mobileapp. Additional details for this air quality alert are available at http://www.aqmd.gov/advisory.

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Winter is Here !!!


Are you ready for the icy roads, extreme cold, and loss of heat, power, and communications that winter storms can bring?

oh, king county says you can now text to 911 though they really suggest calling is better !

A few thoughts on preparing:

  • Check the antifreeze levels in your car.
  • Keep a flashlight, extra batteries, a windshield scraper, a shovel, booster cables, water, snacks, hats and mittens in your vehicle.
  • Insulate pipes in your home and allow faucets to drip a little during cold weather to avoid freezing.
  • Learn how to shut off water valves (in case a pipe bursts).
  • Keep fire extinguishers in your home, and make sure everyone knows how to use them.
  • Install carbon monoxide alarms outside bedrooms and on each floor of your home.
  • Have rock salt or an environmentally friendly alternative on hand to melt ice on walkways. Have sand to improve traction.
  • Check out more good tips on what to do before, during and after winter storms and extreme cold.

Related publication:

Winter solstice


The days only get longer from here! The Northern Hemisphere marks the beginning of winter today, but the winter solstice is also the shortest day of the year. The rainbow that encircles the sun in our image, a sun halo, is above Lake Antermoia, in the Dolomite Mountains of northern Italy. Sun halos form when sun or moon light shines through ice crystals suspended in the upper atmosphere. When the light of the sun hits the crystals they serve as a prism, separating the light into individual colors of the spectrum, the same way rainbows occur after a rain shower.

Source: bing