Ozone Alert Days

When the SkyCast for the day indicates orange or red, it's an Ozone Alert day. On these days, ozone concentrations are expected to reach unhealthy levels. More than half of the emissions that form ground-level ozone come from everyday activities. By reducing or postponing these activities, you can help bring the levels of ozone pollution down.

From April 1 through October 31, the SkyCast for the next day will be announced by 3:00 in the afternoon. Look for SkyCast on this website, MARC's website, in the Kansas City Star or on local TV weather forecasts. If the color indicator for the following day's air quality is orange or red, you should take special precautions to protect your health and reduce the amount ground-level ozone in the Kansas City area.

On Ozone Alert days, MARC advises:

• Cut back on or reschedule strenuous outside activities. Stay indoors in a well-ventilated or air-conditioned building. If you must be active outdoors, try to schedule activity before 11:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m.
  
  
• Drive less. Combine errands and put off less-necessary trips for a cooler day, carpool, or use public transit. Bring your lunch to work.
  
  
• Avoid fueling. Simply filling your vehicle with gasoline can lead to pollution as fumes escape and tiny drips and spills occur, and gas vapors react with heat and sunlight to form ozone. If you must fill your tank, do so after dusk. And be sure to avoid “topping off” your tank.
  
  
• Mow later. Lawn and garden equipment is responsible for an estimated 9 percent of the Kansas City area’s ozone-forming emissions. Postpone yard work that involves power equipment until the Ozone Alert is over.

You can register to be notified of Ozone Alert days by email on the MARC website.

Start a workplace initiative to inspire your co-workers to join you in your effort to improve the Kansas City air and reduce Ozone Alert days.

JoCoLink Desktop Alert
Download Desktop Alert from the Johnson County Government for automatic notification of ozone alert days, as well as alerts concerning weather, local emergencies, and homeland security.
Get Desktop Alert here