As a formidable heat wave prepared to settle upon the Bay Area just in time for a holiday, so did the promise of unclean air.
That threat was enough Monday for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District to issue a Spare the Air Alert for at least Tuesday.
The alert is the third one in 2024; the other two occurred back-to-back in mid-June.
Whether it signals a string of unhealthy air days will likely be dependent on what happens off the coast, officials said.
“It’s really dependent on the intensity of the winds off the ocean,” air district spokesperson Tina Landis said. “It’s highly likely this could be a day-after-day thing but we can’t say for sure. Some of those winds could blow away some of the pollution.”
According to the district, concentrations of ground-level ozone pollution likely will be unhealthy. Young children, seniors and those with respiratory and heart conditions may find it difficult to breathe if they go outside, officials said.
“It will build up as the day goes on,” Landis said.
A high-pressure bubble that’s building is enabling a lengthy heat wave that will envelope the region through the Fourth of July and into the weekend. Temperatures inland are expected to get as high as 108 degrees. The high-pressure is sealing in pollutants, according to forecasters.
The district urged people to work remotely, take transit or walk and bike to work in order to reduce the smog.