WOOD SMOKE
Did you know that our air quality can be worse in the winter than at any other time of the year?
Learn more about temperature inversion and winter air pollution in the Rogue Valley.
Winter Air Tips for Good Health
Written by Jen Coleman, December 4, 2014, Oregon Environmental Council (OEC), Clear Air Campaign Partner
Ah, winter: frost on the pumpkin, chestnuts roasting...and is there something more than a nip in the air?
Unfortunately, yes: there's particle pollution.
Winter air, when still, tends to trap fine particle pollution near the ground, especially late at night and in early morning hours. This dirty air is bad for the lungs and heart—and over the long term has been linked to cancer, reproductive and developmental harm...
Click here to read the complete article on OEC's website.
Winter Smog in the Rogue Valley
Surrounded by mountains, the Rogue Valley is a beautiful place to live. But what makes the Rogue Valley so beautiful also makes it more susceptible to air pollution. When pollutants are released into the air during the colder winter months, if the wind is calm, the pollution can stay trapped in the valley for days at a time. This fog mixed with smoke creates smog. Yes, smog. Right here in the Rogue Valley!
Since changing the topography of our beautiful valley is not an option, if we want cleaner air in the winter, we need to change our behavior in ways that decrease the amount of pollutants we release into our atmosphere. This is especially true when temperature inversions trap wood smoke and vehicle emissions close to the ground, releasing harmful particulates into the air we breathe...