Yesterday afternoon’s winds brought in dust from the Columbia Basin. The screenshot of the dust event shows data collected at Turnbull Wildlife Refuge. It was a short-lived spike, thankfully. Dust (particulate matter) climbed very close to the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups/Orange on the Air Quality Index (AQI). These charts can be found on our Current Air Quality Page. Scroll down to the monitoring map and click a site location. From there you can select a five-day trend chart for each pollutant measured at that site.
Protect yourself during dusty conditions:
- Reduce your active time outdoors.
- Close windows, doors, and vents.
- Watch for sudden changes in visibility while driving.
- Avoid driving during windy conditions when windblown dust is likely.
Help reduce the amount of dust created locally, by:
- Avoid driving on unpaved roads. If you can’t, drive slowly.
- Use a broom and dust pan to clean paved surfaces like driveways and sidewalks, not leaf blowers.
