21/10/2024
INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) has forecast an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) for the Central/East Central region of Indiana starting at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, through 8 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.
Levels of fine particles (PM2.5) in the air are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range (Orange) in the following areas overnight:
Central/East Central Indiana, including the cities of: Bloomington, Brookville, Columbus, Frankfort, Indianapolis, Greensburg, Kokomo, Lebanon, Martinsville, Muncie, Richmond and all other cities within the area.
This notice is for a short-term, isolated event that may not exceed the 24-hour standard for PM2.5.
IDEM is preliminarily forecasting elevated levels of PM2.5 in the air overnight due to a very stable/stagnant air mass which, if combined with any low levels of transported smoke that, in addition to residents burning leaves or other debris, could increase the likelihood of a buildup of PM2.5, particularly in urban areas.