Nebraska State Air Quality Alerts

Nebraska State Air Quality Alerts

NWS offices serving Nebraska will issue Air Quality Alert (AQA) text products for potentially unhealthy air quality due to smoke (wildfire and prescribed fire) and/or other pollutant matter on behalf of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

Air Quality Alerts will be issued as text products by each of the six Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) serving Nebraska for their respective service area. The AQA will be a county-based alert and disseminated based upon the Nebraska Forecast Zones through the NOAA Weather Wire Service via the NWS Telecommunication Gateway (NWSTG)

Example product text for Air Quality Alert due to Wildfire Smoke will be similar to:

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AEUS73 KGID 301919
AQAGID

Air Quality Alert Message
National Weather Service Hastings NE
119 PM CST Mon Jan 30 2023

NEZ041-048-049-310000-
Nance-Merrick-Polk-
Including the cities of Fullerton, Genoa, Central City,
Stromsburg, Osceola, Shelby, and Polk
114 PM CST Mon Jan 30 2023

The following is transmitted in collaboration with the Nebraska
Department of Health and Human Services and the Nebraska
Department of Environment and Energy...

WHAT...Air Quality Alert

WHERE...Portions of eastern and south central Nebraska.

WHEN... 01/30/2022 2:00 PM until 01/30/2022 6:00 PM

POLLUTANT...Smoke impacts from wildfires in the region.

AIR QUALITY INDEX...Moderate

ADDITIONAL DETAILS...

An alert for possible Moderate air quality (Air Quality Index
yellow category) due to smoke has been issued for portions of
eastern and south central Nebraska, from January 30, 2:00 pm
through January 30, 6:00 pm.

During Moderate (AQI yellow category) conditions, those who are
unusually sensitive to particle pollution should consider reducing
prolonged or heavy exertion.

Prescribed burning is being conducted in the region for the
management of prairie and rangelands, and smoke may affect the air
quality in Nebraska.

Smoke levels and wind directions are monitored by Nebraska and
other states to predict when impacts to the air quality may occur.
Air Quality alerts for smoke are issued for affected areas by the
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services and Department of
Environment and Energy and posted on agency webpages and social
media sites. By notifying the media and local health departments,
alerts help citizens protect their health by informing them of
days where outdoor activities should be reduced or avoided to
minimize exposure to smoke.

Alerts are based on data available from weather forecasts, smoke
plume modeling, satellite imagery, and from air quality monitors
located in Omaha, Bellevue, Lincoln, Beatrice, Grand Island, and
Scottsbluff.