Friday an Air Quality Action Day for two Indiana regions

Friday, July 4, 2025 at 5:07 PM

By Staff report

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has forecast an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) for Friday

Fine particulate matter levels are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range (Orange) in the following areas:

Central/East Central Indiana, including the cities of: Bloomington, Brookville, Columbus, Frankfort, Indianapolis, Greensburg, Kokomo, Lebanon, Martinsville, Muncie, Richmond and all other cities within the area.
Western/West Central Indiana, including the cities of: Crawfordsville, Covington, Delphi, Fowler, Greencastle, Lafayette, Newport, Monticello, Spencer, Sullivan, Terre Haute and all other cities within the area.

Hot temperatures, sunny skies, and light winds are expected tomorrow as high pressure settles over the region, creating very stable atmospheric conditions. This stability is likely to cause a buildup of fine particulates. When combined with additional emissions from fireworks, air quality could reach levels in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) range—both on an hourly basis and potentially over the full 24-hour period. Elevated PM2.5 concentrations are expected across Central/East Central, and West Central Indiana.

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.