Interactive map shows poor California air quality city by city as temperatures rise

It’s getting warmer in California, with temperatures in Sacramento hitting the high 70s and 80s this week.

According to the National Weather Service, hot weather can worsen air quality.

“Sunshine can cause some pollutants to undergo chemical reactions, resulting in the development of smog,” the agency said on its website. It added that higher air temperatures increase chemical reactions in the air and depending on wind speed, the pollutants can quickly or slowly disperse.

In a recent study, The American Lung Association found that the Sacramento area was one of the top cities most polluted with daily particulate matter, ranking 7 out of 25. Fresno topped that list at number one.

See how healthy your air is with the interactive map and graph below. The data is provided by Air Now, a resource that uses the official U.S. Air Quality Index.

The AQI breaks down air quality readings based on its level of concern: Good (0-50), Moderate (51-100), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150), Unhealthy (151-200), Very Unhealthy (201-300) and Hazardous (301-higher).

The data is forecast for future days and updated hourly.

This story was originally published April 26, 2022 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Interactive map shows poor California air quality city by city as temperatures rise."