Wildfire Smoke Moves into Maine This Week, Lowering Air Quality

Have you noticed a difference in the air you've been breathing here in Maine over the last couple of days? Have you looked outside around sunrise or sunset and thought the sky maybe looked a little hazy? If so, you're not alone and there's a reason for that.

According to WMTW, Maine will be experiencing lower than normal air quality this week due to the wildfires that are burning in the western United States. What does that mean for you? Most likely, not a whole lot. However people that are elderly, have an existing lung disease like asthma or emphysema, or are sensitive to poor air quality are encouraged to take more frequent breaks while being outside and to do 'less intense' activities.

The Maine Department of Environmental Protection's Air Quality Bureau has even gone so far as to issue an air quality alert through Tuesday here in the Pine Tree State. The hope is that an approaching cold front will dump some rain on the state Tuesday night which will help to mitigate much of the smoke in the air.

According the the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, air quality is measured on a numeric scale, much like temperature. The only difference is with AQI (air quality index) the higher the number means the more pollution in the air.

Air quality is measured with the Air Quality Index, or AQI. The AQI works like a thermometer that runs from 0 to 500 degrees. However, instead of showing changes in the temperature, the AQI is a way of showing changes in the amount of pollution in the air. (NOAA)

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