California Submerged In Sea Of Smoke: Sacramento Air Quality Plummets To Hazardous Levels
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Sacramento's air quality fell to Hazardous levels on Tuesday morning.
Seen from radar, California appeared to be submerged in a sea of smoke.
As of 8 a.m. Tuesday, the EPA's AirNow website recorded Sacramento's AQI at 484, placing it at the highest level of concern on the scale. People were advised to stay indoors and reduce activity levels.
The Air Quality Index in California on Tuesday morning. (Credit: EPA)
Smoke from wildfires across California is contributing to the extremely poor air quality. Those fires, coupled with the natural geography of the valley, are exacerbating the air quality problem.
National Weather Service forecasters say some relief is in store thanks to winds, but it will be a double-edged sword.
Strong north to east winds is expected to clear much of the interior Northern California on Tuesday. However, these same winds are also the reason for a Red Flag alert that has also prompted PG&E to implement a Public Safety Power Shutoff that's affecting 172,000 of their customers.