Is It Safe To Breathe Today?
"What's the weather like today?" is a question many people think to ask the internet in the morning. Fleese or jacket, scarf or umbrella or all of the above? You need to know what the conditions are like outside before you can go anywhere. Never mind the fact that you'd need a giant backpack and a few sherpas to carry enough gear to be prepared for any weather the region may throw at us on a given day. You gotta make a guess and dress accordingly. "How's traffic on 5?" is another question you might ponder into your laptop at the breakfast table.
Until now, though, there's been no internet source to help you determine whether you should style the surgical mask for your morning commute or not. Subtle scarf over the face or complete haz-mat suit? There's just no telling what the air quality is until you're clearing sludge from your sinuses in the evening. After today you'll no longer have to judge a day's air quaility via an evening Kleenex inspection - The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency has a tool online that displays air quality in various regions.
In addition to the helpfull "Air Quality Right Now" chart there's also an "Air Quality Forecast" and "Visibility Camera" among other tools. If you check out Queen Anne Hill today you can see a clear trend towards Moderate Danger tomorrow and the rest of the week, with the potential to rise into Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (which encompasses just about everybody in Seattle, doesn't it?) later in the week. This site will give you the national forecast if you're trying to determine whether or not to pack a gas mask on your next business trip.
