Image: epa.gov
Worried about ozone levels during the warmer months of the year? So is the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. That’s why the TCEQ puts together a daily forecast of when conditions are favorable for high ozone levels in any of nine metropolitan areas around the state.
TCEQ meteorologists use historic data, current ozone measurements and prediction models to decide whether a metro area may be in store for a high ozone day. When an Ozone Action Day is forecast, meteorologists contact the National Weather Service, which adds the news to its weather wire. The TCEQ also notifies officials in the impacted areas, who in turn contact local media, government, businesses and industries to alert them to take steps to reduce pollutants that contribute to increased ozone levels.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, the Ozone Forecast Season begins on May 1 and runs through October 31. In most cases, the forecast is available by 2 p.m. the previous day. In addition to monitoring media or visiting the TCEQ Web site, you also can sign up to receive ozone forecasts and warnings by e-mail.
The forecast target level for all areas is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Air Quality Index Level Orange, which corresponds to an eight-hour average of 76 parts per billion (ppb) or a one-hour average of 125 ppb. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, forecasts for an AQI Level Red also may be issued if the numbers top 96 ppb over an eight-hour period or 165 ppb in one hour.
Tags: Air Quality Index, National Weather Service, Ozone Action Days, Ozone Forecast Season, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
