Sacramento has first ‘Spare the Air’ day of 2020 as more places reopen
Sacramento’s air quality district says Thursday will be the first “Spare The Air” day of 2020 as the region swelters from a record-breaking heatwave this week and more businesses reopen after authorities eased coronavirus restrictions that kept people home as much as possible for more than two months.
An Air Quality Index reading of 126, which is unhealthy for sensitive groups, was expected Thursday for the Sacramento region. A Spare the Air alert is issued when the AQI is 126 or higher and comes with encouragement for people to limit driving. The Sacramento region had six Spare the Air days last year.
Experts say the air quality improved this spring in the Sacramento region after state and county officials issued health directives in mid-March that resulted in much fewer drivers on the road. Residents were told to stay at home as much as possible to slow the spread of the coronavirus, which causes the infectious respiratory disease COVID-19.
But those coronavirus restrictions have been eased in the past few weeks. Non-essential activities that had been prohibited, such as eating in restaurants or shopping in stores, are now authorized to resume in most California counties, including Sacramento.
An AQI reading of 119, which also is unhealthy for sensitive groups, was expected Wednesday in the Sacramento region. On Tuesday, the Sacramento region had an AQI reading of 80, which is moderate.
Downtown Sacramento reached 104 degrees Tuesday afternoon and Sacramento Executive Airport was recorded at 103, each of which surpassed previous all-time highs for May 26 by 2 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
Monday’s high of 100 degrees downtown at the capital tied an all-time high for the date that was set almost 70 years ago, in 1951. An excessive heat warning continues this week for the Sacramento Valley with a high of 102 degrees in the weather service forecast for Thursday.
Continued hot weather and sunny skies will increase ozone production, according to the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District. But increasing clouds and cooler temperatures Friday will inhibit ozone formation and return air quality in the region to moderate levels.
The air quality district was asking Sacramento region residents to cut back on driving Thursday by postponing errands, taking public transit, eliminating unnecessary trips, working from home, walking or riding a bike, all in an effort to reduce air pollution.
Residents also were encouraged to exercise in the early morning, when pollution levels are lowest, and avoid using gasoline-powered lawn equipment.
