Pennsylvania DEP Begins 2016 Ozone Forecasting

Harrisburg, PA /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ - This week Pennsylvania will begin ozone forecasting for 27 counties in Pennsylvania for the 2016 season. DEP monitors ambient ozone concentrations year-round and makes air quality forecasts for ground-level ozone during the spring and summer months.

The daily forecasts, developed in conjunction with local Air Quality Partnerships, use a color-based Air Quality index for air quality conditions. Green signifies good air quality; yellow means moderate conditions; orange represents pollution levels that could trigger health effects for sensitive people, such as the very young, the elderly, and those with respiratory ailments; and red warns of pollution levels that could trigger health effects for all members of the population.

The following areas and counties will have daily forecasting:

• Lehigh Valley / Berks area – Berks, Lehigh and Northampton
• Philadelphia area – Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia (forecasts that are completed by PSU)
• Pittsburgh area – Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Washington, and Westmoreland
• Susquehanna Valley area – Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, and York
• Altoona - Blair County
• Erie – Erie County
• Indiana County
• Johnstown – Cambria County
• Mercer County
• Scranton / Wilkes-Barre – Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties
• State College – Centre County
• Williamsport – Lycoming County

These forecast are provided in cooperation with the Air Quality Partnership of Delaware Valley, the Southwest Pennsylvania Air Quality Partnership, the Lehigh Valley/Berks Air Quality Partnership and the Susquehanna Valley Air Quality Partnership.

To sign up to receive air quality forecasts via email, visit www.enviroflash.info.

For more information about air quality or the local partnerships, visit www.dep.pa.gov and enter "air quality" in the search box, or call 717-787-9495.