Smog warning issued as poor air quality expected in Kansas City for 12th time this season
An orange ozone alert has been issued for the Kansas City area as poor air quality is expected Tuesday in the metro, according to the Mid-America Regional Council.
“After giving us (mostly) a break for a couple of weeks, ground-level ozone is again on the rise,” Doug Norsby, MARC senior environmental planner, said in a news release.
“Low, variable winds, sunny skies and hot days have returned to the area to generate local ozone production,” he said.
“The light upwinds we do see coming are not expected to be clean enough to reduce our local ozone readings. Our hope relies primarily on cumulus cloud development that can block some of the sun, so let’s root for thick cloud cover tomorrow (Tuesday) — especially in the morning.”
The warning is the 12th such alert for this ozone season. The area’s outdoor Air Quality Index is expected to exceed 100 on Tuesday with ozone being the primary pollution, MARC said.
At that level, an unhealthy level of ground-level ozone, also known as ozone pollution or smog, is expected for people sensitive to pollution, according to MARC.
The pollution is formed when emissions from vehicles, lawn and garden equipment and other sources react in heat and sunlight. Warm, sunny weather along with low wind speeds and lack of rain increase the likelihood of poor air quality, according to the agency.
Ozone pollution can lead to a variety health problems including chest pains, wheezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, nausea and throat irritation. While people with health issues are more sensitive to air pollution, healthy adults can be affected too.
People who are sensitive to air pollution, including children, older adults and people with breathing or heart problems, should limit outdoor activity between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Everyone should consider scheduling outdoor activities before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m., according to MARC.
To help reduce air pollution, people can postpone mowing and waiting until the evening to refuel vehicles. People living close to work can consider walking or riding a bike to work.
This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 6:49 AM.
