Air Quality Advisory Issued for Southeast Michigan Due to Snowmelt
An air quality advisory is in effect for several counties in Southeast Michigan until , due to melting snow releasing trapped pollutants into the atmosphere, state air regulators announced Sunday.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) issued the alert, warning of elevated levels of fine particulate matter. Pollutants in the region are expected to be in the “Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups” range, impacting individuals with pre-existing conditions.
The advisory covers Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties. Officials are urging caution, particularly for those with heart or respiratory diseases like asthma, as well as children and older adults.
“Surface temperatures reaching 50 degrees F have sped up snowmelt and are releasing particulates into the atmosphere in the process,” explained Alec Kownacki, a meteorologist for EGLE’s Air Quality Division, in a news release. “Particulates get trapped in snow when it falls and when that snow melts, those same particulates get released into the air. Couple the warming temperatures with light winds throughout today, Sunday, PM-2.5 concentrations are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range due to lack of atmospheric dispersion.”
Kownacki clarified that the advisory is not related to wildfire smoke, but rather to organic compounds and other pollutants that were trapped in snowfall over the winter and are now being released as the snow melts.
EGLE recommends that individuals, when possible, avoid strenuous outdoor activities. Those experiencing symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, dizziness, or burning in the nose, throat, and eyes should seek medical attention. Residents are also advised to reduce or eliminate activities that contribute to air pollution, such as outdoor burning or the use of residential wood-burning devices.
This type of air quality advisory is relatively unusual for February, but the conditions are creating a unique situation. Normally, wind and rising air currents help to disperse these particles, carrying them away and reducing their concentration. However, light winds and a temperature inversion – a layer of warmer air trapping colder air near the surface – are preventing this natural ventilation process.
The temperature inversion acts “like a lid on a pot,” preventing air from rising and mixing, and trapping pollutants close to the ground where people breathe. This buildup of particles can cause air quality to deteriorate rapidly.
Households are encouraged to keep windows closed overnight to prevent pollutants from entering homes and, if possible, to run central air conditioning systems with MERV-13 or higher rated filters to help remove particles from the air.
For more information, residents can visit the DHHS Wildfire Smoke and Your Health site at michigan.gov/mdhhs/safety-injury-prev/environmental-health/your-health-and-wildfire-smoke.
