Air Quality Advisories, Bad Air Quality Across Entire North Bay

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Even as control rises on Bay Area fires, smoky, unhealthful air continues to plague the region due to an atmospheric cap that is keeping smoke near the ground. In fact all of Northern California is experiencing moderately to severely unhealthful air quality at times due to smoke particulates.

Lake County has issued an Air Quality Advisory through midnight Sunday due to wildfire smoke, and unhealthful conditions have been recorded at times throughout the region. Air quality around Clear Lake was hovering at an air quality index level of 200 Sunday morning, considered very unhealthful.

Elsewhere on Sunday morning, air quality as measured by Purple Air showed some of the worst air quality in the world across Northern California. The continued smoke from fires to the north and south of the Bay Area, and a generally stagnant air mass are contributing factors. Light onshore breezes that have helped to clear areas near the coast are expected to lessen this week, as a return of high pressure to the region and warmer temperatures are forecast.

Some of the worst air was in and near Novato, Petaluma, and Lake County were some monitors showed air at very unhealthful levels of between 150-300 on the air quality index, while air that is considered unhealthy for sensitive individuals, ranging upwards of 100 on the air quality index lingered in many regions including Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Windsor and Healdsburg.

Public health officials say members of the public should limit their outdoor exposure at these levels, especially if they have respiratory conditions or are otherwise sensitive to particulate pollution and wear facial coverings that filter fine particulates like smoke.