Charlotte air quality among worst in the country now as Canadian wildfire smoke lingers
The air above Charlotte is some of the worst in the nation Tuesday.
Smoke from the Canadian wildfires, combined with high pressure, trapped particulates close to the surface and tainted air quality levels in areas from Winston-Salem to Birmingham,Alabama.
While North Carolina’s Department of Environmental Quality forecast only Code Orange and Code Yellow levels across the state, hourly readings showed Code Red levels in the Piedmont Triad region early Tuesday.
In areas with particulate matter driving air quality levels into the Code Red range, all people — but especially those with heart or lung disease, older adults and children — are advised to avoid strenuous outdoor activities and to keep any time spent outdoors brief.
Monday night, high pressure trapped smoke and smog close to Charlotte, casting a thick midnight haze that lingered into Tuesday. Air near the city saw an air quality index of 152 Tuesday at about 10 a.m., according to Mecklenburg County.
Code Red AQI levels range from 150 to 200, Code Orange range from 100 to 150 and Code Yellow range from 50 to 100.
Air quality across the region was expected to return to “acceptable” Code Yellow levels later Tuesday, leaving only those “unusually sensitive to air pollution” at risk.
This story was originally published July 18, 2023 at 10:48 AM.
