Unhealthy air settles in Yakima Valley

YAKIMA -- The air in Yakima County remains unhealthy to breathe this morning, according to measurements taken at 6 a.m. by air-monitoring equipment at 4th Avenue.

The National Weather Service says an air stagnation advisory will stay in effect until noon. Because the air is not moving across the region, pollutants are trapped near ground level, officials say.

The Washington Air Quality Advisory index measures the air in the Upper Yakima Valley at 154, which is considered “unhealthy” and is mostly a mixture of smoke and dust.

The monitor on Ward Road in Toppenish is measuring the air quality at 102, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups, such as people with chronic lung disease and asthma.

The Yakima Regional Clean Air Authority is continuing its Stage 2 ban today which prohibits all outdoor burning. People who depend on wood heat as their sole source may continue to burn.

There are six categories of air quality under the state Department of Ecology rating system:
• Good 0-50
• Moderate 51-100
• Unhealthy for sensitive groups 101-150
• Unhealthy 101-200
• Very unhealthy 201-300
• Hazardous 301-500

-- Leah Beth Ward

• The Classified Marketplace
• • Announcements
  • Public Notices
  • Legal Notices
  • Merchandise
  • Yard Sales
  • Animals
  • Finance

• Newspaper Ads
  View All