The Air District is issuing a Spare the Air Alert for tomorrow, Friday, December 20, which bans burning wood, manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel, both indoors and outdoors.
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Learn about San Mateo County - its climate, potential air pollution concerns, and current air quality. You can also view upcoming Air District events in San Mateo County and read about local efforts to improve air quality.
The Air District is issuing a Spare the Air Alert for tomorrow, Friday, December 20, which bans burning wood, manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel, both indoors and outdoors.
The Air District is issuing a Spare the Air Alert for today, Sunday, December 8, which bans burning wood, manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel, both indoors and outdoors. Regional wood burning and easterly winds transporting air pollution into the Bay Area from the Central Valley have contributed to high overnight concentrations of fine particle pollution and unhealthy air quality. Although light northerly winds will bring some improvement later in the afternoon and evening, parts of the Bay Area will still experience unhealthy air quality throughout the day. Breezier northeasterly winds will bring more substantial improvement in air quality for Monday.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is issuing the winter season’s first Spare the Air Alerts for Sunday, December 1, and Monday, December 2, which ban burning wood, manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel, both indoors and outdoors.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is asking residents to not burn wood over the Thanksgiving holiday to help reduce air pollution and protect public health. As we enter the holiday season, gathering around a fireplace may be a tradition for many, but there are serious health impacts associated with wood burning.
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San Mateo County lies in the middle of the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco County, and north of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and San Francisco Bay to the east. Two San Mateo County representatives sit on the Air District’s Board of Directors.
Cool, foggy weather is prevalent along the western coast of the peninsula, particularly during the summer. Summertime average daily temperatures are moderate along the west coast and warm in the county’s east side. In the winter, average daily temperatures across the county range from mild to moderate. Winds are mild, with the highest wind speeds focused along the western coast. Rainfall averages about 20 to 25 inches per year at lower elevations and up to 36 inches in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
Interactive Air Monitoring Stations Map
Ozone and fine particle pollution, or PM2.5, are the major regional air pollutants of concern in the San Francisco Bay Area. Ozone is primarily a problem in the summer, and fine particle pollution in the winter.
In San Mateo County, ozone almost never exceeds health standards, and PM2.5 exceeds the national standard only on about one day each year. San Mateo County frequently receives fresh marine air from the Pacific Ocean, which passes over the coastal hills. In winter, PM2.5 may be transported into San Mateo County from other parts of the Bay Area, adding to wood smoke, which may lead to elevated concentrations, but these are rarely high enough to exceed health standards.
Last Updated: 4/21/2017