
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) is extending an Air Quality Action Day across the northern section of the state through Sunday, August 3.
Fine particulate matter levels are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range (Orange) in the following areas:
- North Central Indiana, including the cities of: Elkhart, Goshen, Knox, Logansport, Plymouth, Peru, South Bend, Warsaw, Winamac and all other cities within the area.
- Northwest Indiana, including the cities of: Crown Point, Gary, Hammond, Kentland, LaPorte, Michigan City, Portage, Rensselaer, Valparaiso and all other cities within the area.
- Northeast Indiana, including the cities of: Angola, Auburn, Decatur, Fort Wayne, Hartford, Huntington City, LaGrange, Marion, Portland, Wabash and all other cities within the area.
With recirculating flow around the surface, high pressure, and lower mixing heights, we are expecting smoke from the Canadian wildfires to push south across the Great Lakes into Sunday.
IDEM forecasted Air Quality Action Days indicate anticipated higher levels of ground-level ozone and fine particulate matter only. Other factors may affect overall air quality.
Hoosiers can visit SmogWatch.IN.gov to:
- View Air quality information for all Indiana counties, including a state map of affected counties;
- Learn more about Air Quality Action Days and recommended actions;
- Learn more about ozone and fine particulate matter; and
- Sign up for air quality alerts.
Air Quality Action Days are in effect from midnight to 11:59 p.m. (24-hours) on the specified date. Some municipalities have additional open burning restrictions on AQADs. For more information, go to idem.IN.gov/openburning/laws-and-rules.
Note: IDEM forecasts are based, solely or in part, on data from air quality monitors located throughout the state. IDEM encourages residents of counties within or bordering the affected region(s) to heed the forecast.