Public Information Statement
Issued by NWS Elko, NV

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NOUS45 KLKN 301300
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NVZ030-031-033>041-010230-

PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ELKO NV
600 AM PDT TUE APR 30 2013

THIS WEEK MARKS THE BEGINNING OF THE OZONE SEASON FOR MANY AREAS IN
THE UNITED STATES.

TODAY WE HIGHLIGHT THE CAUSES OF POOR AIR QUALITY...

YOUR AIR QUALITY CAN VARY...DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH AIR POLLUTION IS
PRODUCED IN YOUR COMMUNITY...HOW MUCH POLLUTION IS CARRIED INTO YOUR
COMMUNITY BY THE WIND...AND BY WEATHER CONDITIONS.

OZONE FORMS WHEN TWO GROUPS OF KEY POLLUTANTS...NITROGEN OXIDES AND
VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS...COOK IN THE SUN.  PARTICLE POLLUTION
CAN BE DIRECTLY EMITTED FOR EXAMPLE IN SMOKE FROM A WOOD-STOVE...BUT
A LOT OF PARTICLES FORM WHEN GASES REACT IN THE AIR. NITROGEN OXIDES
AND SULFUR OXIDES CONTRIBUTE TO PARTICLE FORMATION.

THESE OZONE AND PARTICLE FORMING POLLUTANTS COME FROM A WIDE VARIETY
OF SOURCES...INCLUDING CARS...TRUCKS...BUSES...POWER PLANTS...AND
INDUSTRIES. NATURAL SOURCES SUCH AS WILDFIRES AND DUST-STORMS
CONTRIBUTE TO PARTICLE POLLUTION. TREES AND OTHER VEGETATION ALSO
EMIT ORGANIC COMPOUNDS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO PARTICLE AND OZONE
POLLUTION.

WEATHER PLAYS A BIG ROLE IN THE LEVELS OF OZONE AND PARTICLE
POLLUTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY. SUNLIGHT AND HEAT PROMOTE OZONE
FORMATION. LIGHT WINDS AND TEMPERATURE INVERSIONS CAN KEEP POLLUTION
CONCENTRATED NEAR THE GROUND. DEPENDING ON ITS DIRECTION, THE WIND
CAN BRING IN MORE POLLUTION...SOMETIMES FROM HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY.
GEOGRAPHY CAN AFFECT POLLUTION LEVELS TOO. MOUNTAIN RANGES CAN
PREVENT POLLUTION FROM DISPERSING.

TOMORROW WE WILL LEARN ABOUT THE HEALTH IMPACTS OF POOR AIR QUALITY.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON AIR QUALITY AWARENESS WEEK...VISIT US ON
THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT WWW.AIRQUALITY.NOAA.GOV. THAT`S
WWW.AIRQUALITY.NOAA.GOV

$$

MICHAEL FITZSIMMONS
WARNING COORDINATION METEOROLOGIST
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
ELKO, NEVADA