OLYMPIA, Wash. – We’ve been seeing hazy skies during this heat wave but it’s not from wildfire smoke
The Department of Ecology says the same high pressure dome that’s held the heat in the region is also trapping pollutants in a shallow layer of air close to the ground.
The pollutants are a combination of those caused by human activity and gases emitted by trees during hot weather called Secondary Organic Aerosols.
These substances interact to create ozone pollution and have caused air quality to be in the Unhealthy range in some areas.
Air quality is expected to improve with lower temperatures beginning today.