11/16/23

Air quality has greatly improved in the Valley since yesterday’s wildfire smoke invasion, although one area in the north is still monitoring potentially dangerous levels of pollution.
Data from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality shows that while the smell of smoke may linger, all central Valley counties are within the “Good” category regarding air quality.
However, folks near Winchester are waking up to a warning this morning: D-E-Q says smoke pollution is concentrating over Frederick County, leading to an air quality index that straddles the line between “Unhealthy” and “Very Unhealthy.”
The smoke is a result of forest fires in four counties south of the Valley, as well as several active fires in West Virginia.