bookmark_borderPhilly Air Quality Warning

PHILADELPHIA — It is rare to have an air quality alert in the winter; however, Philly has experienced four hazardous air days in a row. Normally air quality alert days are caused by ozone. These air quality alert days are caused by “particle concentrations”.

View the current air quality for Philadelphia.

Forecast Discussion: Tuesday is an Air Quality Action day for the Philadelphia metropolitan area for Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) or Code Orange particles. An unprecedented air quality event unfolded across the Delaware Valley beginning Saturday night and has continued into Monday. A very strong area of high pressure has created strong surface inversions that have trapped pollutants, allowing particle concentrations to reach the USG range on Sunday and continue into Monday. Typically these types of strong inversions do not develop until later in the winter, when there is snow on the ground. For Tuesday, another strong morning inversion is expected, and very light winds will become calm in the afternoon, which will continue to limit atmospheric mixing. This stagnation will allow USG particle concentrations to extend into Tuesday. **Extended Forecast: By Wednesday afternoon, surface winds will pick up, which should return particles to the upper Moderate range. But on Thursday, a warming trend combined with another episode of stagnating winds may push particles back into the USG range.

More on the health risks of air pollution.

Death By Ozone

More on global warming and climate change.

bookmark_borderPortuguese Man o’ War Washing Up at Jersey Shore

At least 30 poisonous Portuguese Man o’ War have washed up on New Jersey beaches. They have been found from Surf City beach on Long Beach Island to Ocean City in Southern New Jersey.

The spotting of man o’ wars here is part of a “transient event that occurs infrequently in New Jersey,” according to Gary Buchanan, director of the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Science.

Though the creature packs a powerful sting, it is rarely fatal.

bookmark_borderCode Blue Cold Weather Declaration

The Montgomery County Commissioners, on the advice of the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, have declared a Code Blue Cold Weather Emergency
for Montgomery County based on a review of forecasts from the National Weather Service.

The Code Blue Declaration has been issued for Montgomery County for the period beginning at 8:00PM on Friday, January 17, 2014 until 9:00AM on Tuesday, January
21, 2014.

A Code Blue Cold Weather Declaration is made in Montgomery County when winter conditions pose a threat of serious harm or death to individuals without shelter. A Code Blue is called when the combination of air temperature and wind chill is anticipated to be 20ºF or less.