WNC Air Quality (Asheville: high school, living, law)

[JAG_HRD]

So I set up an app on my iPhone to show the Asheville weather. Today I get an alert about air quality in the area. Having grown up in S. California (I was a Valley Boy, for sure) and escaped to the central coast before my lungs seized completely, I am a bit concerned to see such an alert. I suspect that it is nothing like the smog we had but would like to get an understanding of its severity.

Oh, I ask because of considering the area (Asheville-ish) for retirement.

Thanks in advance.

[motordavid]

Here is a gov't web cam site I use, as it also at 5,000 feet as we are, and
has a similar view. It shows "moderate" today.

NPS: Nature & Science» Air Resources Division - Great Smoky Mountains NP Web Camera

The short version of WNC air quality, imo: The area is in the Smokies, and is
aptly named. Haze, particulates and "stuff" tends to hang in the mtns, and
settle in the valleys and not be blown away. We also get more than our fair
share from the power plants "up wind", in TN, KY, OH, etc., I am told.

Add in the normal "stuff" from driving, living, etc., which tends to collect and
settle in the valleys, and moderate to crummy on the charts, comes up with
some regularity. A good rain knocks it back to green, and "good".

I've been here only 9+yrs, but except for a few days, (from fading memory),
it is not comparable to LA basin on a bad day(s), imo.
Another gov't site, Western NC Air Quality, fwiw:
Asheville Air Quality (http://www.wncairquality.org/Air%20Quality/asheville_aqi.htm - broken link)

GL, mD

[Cofga]

The alert today was for ozone on the ridge tops not the valleys. For some reason around here ozone tends to reach higher concentrations at higher altitudes so the tops of the ridges can be in alert (Orange today) while the valley floor around Asheville is at yellow status (green is best). Tomorrow is predicted back to green. Air pollution from the west is declining since the TVA lost a law suit in favor of NC and has to cut pollution so in the future we should have fewer orange, red, and purple (worst) alert days. In Asheville 68.9% of days are green and 30.6% are yellow which adds up to 99.5% of the time--so there aren't many bad days here, especially if you avoid ridge tops--Larry

[JAG_HRD]

David and Larry. Thanks a bunch. The charts and graphs are most helpful for understanding the situation........i.e. NO WORRIES.

In high school I ran track and cross country and my lungs would just burn from the smog. A deep breath was truly painful. My good buddy ending up making his whole career studying the effects of poor air quality on children.