Community Corner
'Unhealthy' Air Quality Forecast In Gilroy, Santa Clara Valley
Breaking: The Bay Area is under a "Spare the Air" alert Thursday, with the worst air quality in the Santa Clara Valley and Eastern District.
SANTA CLARA VALLEY, CA -- The air quality Thursday in Gilroy and its neighboring Santa Clara Valley communities is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, which has issued a "Spare the Air" smog alert for the Bay Area Thursday.
The regional alert, the fourth for smog so far in 2017, is the result of light winds and triple-digit temperatures in the region that are expected to combine with vehicle exhaust to create unhealthy air quality, officials with the air district said.
The region's worst air quality Thursday will be in the Santa Clara Valley and the Eastern District, according to the air district's website, which is forecasting an AQI (air quality index) of 101 for both areas. An AQI between 101 and 150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups and means that active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit outdoor exertion.
Find out what's happening in Gilroyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The cities within the Santa Clara Valley air quality zone include: Alum Rock, Alviso, Campbell, Coyote, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Morgan Hill, New Almaden, Redwood Estates, San Jose, San Martin, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale.
Air district officials are calling for all Bay Area residents to take public transit Thursday or find other ways to avoid driving alone, and said outdoor exercise should only be done in the early morning hours when ozone concentrations are lower.
Find out what's happening in Gilroyfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"More extreme temperatures from climate change and the resulting air quality issues are a reminder of the changes we can all make to reduce our carbon footprint and improve the air we breathe," air district executive officer Jack Broadbent said in a statement.
Residents can find out when a Spare the Air alert is issued by registering at Sparetheair.org, calling 800-HELP-AIR, downloading the Spare the Air smartphone app or connecting with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.
Bay City News Service contributed to this report.
Image via Pixabay
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