FORECAST SUMMARY: Friday, July 2nd, 2021, through Saturday, July 3rd, 2021
OZONE: 8-Hour average Ozone concentrations are expected to be mostly Good with only a few Moderates possible through Saturday.
PM-2.5: 24-hour average Fine Particulate concentrations will also be mostly Good.
FORECAST DISCUSSION:
High pressure to the southwest of the state will provide plentiful sunshine and northerly winds should keep air quality generally Good both Friday and Saturday. As it progresses into the holiday weekend, forecast models are showing a smoke plume dropping in from Canada. At this point, the smoke plume is expected to stay at upper levels and shouldn’t impact air quality significantly.
Another note as we move into the holiday weekend is the anticipated high fine particulate concentrations in locations with fireworks displays. Wind speeds should be high enough where levels will not stay high for a long period of time. Hourly levels during, and for a few hours after displays, maybe USG; however, daily averages should not be higher than low to middle Moderate.
Temperatures will increase Saturday and Sunday both at the surface and upper levels. By later Sunday winds turn more westerly as high pressure moves east. Plenty of sunshine will remain and the threat of increased ozone comes into play. This is something that will be monitored. This forecast will be updated Saturday to detail pollution levels for Sunday and Monday.
EXTENDED FORECAST:
Extended forecast models show the next system possibly bringing small chances for precipitation by late Monday or Tuesday. Until then, pollution levels may be increasing early next week for both ozone and fine particulate.