e-Forecast Service

e-Forecast Service - It's Free !

The American Lung Association® in Washington has a tool to give residents of the Northwest fast, accurate notification when air quality has deteriorated and may affect health-sensitive people. It's called the Breathe Easy Network, an email air quality forecast service.

The Breathe Easy Network provides advance warning when air quality deteriorates in your community. This can help you in three ways:

1.You get early warning about possible pollution problems so you can head off asthma triggers before they affect you or family members.
2.You will be able to schedule and plan around "bad air" days by following specific tips to protect you and your family's health.
3.You will be able to make sure medications and treatment options are in place when you need them, should you need them.
The Breathe Easy Network plays an important role in relaying health information to sensitive populations before government actions like Smog Watch or Burn Bans are triggered. There are hundreds of people in this region that feel the health effects from breathing dirty air at levels below what federal health standards consider "unhealthy" air.

Health sensitive people include:

  • People with respiratory diseases, such as asthma
  • Children
  • Adults who are active outdoors
  • Adults over 50 years of age
  • People with unusual susceptibility to air
    • 


How it works

1.The Washington state's Department of Ecology - Air Quality Program gathers Ambient Air Quality Data and Information from monitors throughout the state. Based in part on the Department of Ecology's monitoring information, local Washington state air quality agencies forecast today's and tomorrow's air quality for ten different areas in Washington. By 11:00 daily these forecasts are sent to the EPA AirNow website which displays today's and tomorrow's.

2.Daily in the morning, the American Lung Association® in Washington check's the EPA AirNow website and if any "EPA AirNow area" reports something other than a "Green/Green" forecast the American Lung Association® in Washington sends an alert with "Today's" and "Tomorrow's" forecast to one or more of the three "Breathe Easy Network area(s)".

3.A "Green/Green" forecast will only be sent once, following a forecast that is other than "Green/Green".


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Olympic Region -  Aberdeen, Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Shelton

Puget Sound Region - Seattle, Bellevue, Kent Valley, Bremerton, Silverdale, Bainbridge Island, Everett, Marysville, Lynnwood, Tacoma, Puyallup

Spokane Region - Spokane

 

Air Quality Index 

Air Quality Index
Levels of Health Concern

Numerical
Value

Meaning

aqi_greenf

0-50

Air quality is considered satisfactory, and air pollution poses little or no risk.

aqi_yellowf

51-100

Air quality is acceptable; however, for some pollutants there may be a moderate health concern for a very small number of people who are unusually sensitive to air pollution.

aqi_orangef

101-150

Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects. The general public is not likely to be affected.

aqi_redf

151-200

Everyone may begin to experience health effects; members of sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.

aqi_purplef

201-300

Health alert: everyone may experience more serious health effects.

aqi_maroonf

> 300

Health warnings of emergency conditions. The entire population is more likely to be affected.



State and National Air Quality Agencies and Resources:

Agencies:

Olympic Region Clean Air Agency
Puget Sound Clean Air Agency
Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency

Resources:

Department of Ecology - Air Quality Program: Ambient Air Quality Data and Information, including air quality monitoring sites throughout Washington state.
Air Watch Northwest: - Air Watch Northwest is a portal to Northwest air quality agencies, which provide air quality data for the areas they serve.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - To find out what air quality is like in your community visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s forecasting website for the latest air quality nationally.