Riding in the wake of the fires [friday update]

[karlos]

Please be careful if you choose to ride Sat/Sun Oct. 27/28. Not only may fires still be present, but air quality is also key. Particulate matter < 2.5 microns in diameter can  damage lung tissue - read about that here. Stay informed of PM < 2.5 levels at http://www.sdapcd.org/air/forecasts/otoday.html -  most areas are currently (Oct 26-7) unhealthy. See Roadies page for cancellations/alternatives on these days.

[karlos]

If you check out the links, PM 2.5 levels are still above 100 nearly everywhere and forecast for the same on Saturday. Remarkably, the worst levels are on the coast - Del Mar and Oceanside forecast at AQI levels 139 and 133, respectively.

[Page Nicol]

I looked at another website www.airgov.org and they give a 12 hour review of today's air quality on the coast.  It appears there is a monitoring station in Del Mar.  The good news is that the air quality went from 140 (unhealthy)down to 73(moderate) as of 7pm tonight. Since I live in the area I can report that this morning the fog made air quality very bad, but by this afternoon there was a light onshore ocean breeze which seemed to push a lot of the smoke out east. Not saying it's a good idea to ride tomorrow, but riders may want to monitor their local conditions.  Don't assume the east county is good or that the coast is bad.  May be best to take the weekend off, or go easy.  Have fun and stay safe.

[TB]

The site is actually: www.airnow.gov  and specifically for the coastline: www.airnow.gov/index.cfm?action=airnow.showlocal&CityID=224

[karlos]

Also, note that both sites point to the exact SAME data. The "Yesterday's summary" at airnow.gov is the same movie as the 24-hr summary at sdapcd.org/air in the notes above. Either of these resources allow you to make the same informed decision about riding this weekend.