Metro Atlanta Sees End of Record-Breaking Number of Days of Healthy Air

Metro Atlanta residents can thank cooler weather and rainfall for keeping the air we breathe healthier. 

But the record-breaking number of days of healthy air has ended, the Clean Air Campaign says, with the area experiencing its first ozone exceedance — the first smog alert of the year — on Tuesday, July 30. It’s the longest the area has gone in a calendar year without experiencing such an occurrence.

Smog alerts indicate days when the concentrations of either ozone or particle pollution — or both — are expected to reach unhealthy levels. 

According to the Clean Air Campaign, with school set to start in many counties in the next week or two, including Barrow on Aug. 7, traffic will be back to peak levels. The initiative encourages commuters do their part by choosing a commute option such as carpooling, teleworking or taking transit, as half of the smog-forming emissions in the region come from vehicle tailpipes. 

Residents can also sign up for smog alerts, so you'll know when air quality is expected to be poor.