Pollen Makes for Poor Air Quality

Observation: The air quality in Anchorage has been poor in recent days and many people are experiencing allergy and respiratory problems. This is partially due to the time of year and tree pollen. But also because of the hot and dry conditions that have persisted for the past month. I took this photo of my truck this morning with an overnight dusting of tree pollen. The second photo was taken during an Alaska Airlines flight from Seattle to Anchorage on Saturday night, about ten minutes outside of town. I was struck by how smoggy the air looked. No idea what the cause was. Air quality is important for public health and it seems that we have had several big pollen events in recent years. Some people are reducing outdoor activities especially in the mornings when the pollen levels are high.

LEO says: Air quality in Anchorage has been poor throughout May. See articles from Anchorage Daily News, Peninsula Clarion, and Associate Press.

Resource:

• For information about daily pollen levels in Anchorage, you can visit the Municipality of Anchorage Environmental Health Services, Air Quality Pollen website.