Not used to seeing this in South Carolina

[Stormsfury]

WWUS72 KCAE 252038
NPWCAE

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
434 PM EDT WED JUN 25 2003

...AN AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TOMORROW FOR THE MIDLANDS
OF SOUTH CAROLINA...

PERSISTENT HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE AREA HAS CAUSED A REDUCTION IN AIR
QUALITY TO OCCUR.

SCZ027-028-031-260233-
LEXINGTON SC-RICHLAND SC-SUMTER SC-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...SUMTER...LEXINGTON AND COLUMBIA
434 PM EDT WED JUN 25 2003

...AIR QUALITY INDEX...

THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
FORECASTS AIRQUALITY INDEX VALUES IN THE MIDLANDS OF SOUTH CAROLINA
TO BE IN THE ORANGE CATEGORY TOMORROW. ACTIVE CHILDREN AND
ADULTS...AND PEOPLE WITH RESPIRATORY DISEASE...SUCH AS
ASTHMA...SHOULD LIMIT PROLONGED OUTDOOR EXERTION.

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE AIR QUALITY...
1. COMBINE TRIPS AND LIMIT UNNECESSARY TRAVEL.
2. CARPOOL OR TAKE THE BUS.
3. KEEP YOUR VEHICLE PROPERLY MAINTAINED.
4. USE GASOLINE POWERED LAWN EQUIPMENT AFTER 600 PM.
5. REFUEL AFTER 600 PM AND DO NOT TOP OFF YOUR GAS TANK.
6. WALK OR RIDE A BIKE ON SHORT TRIPS.
7. SAVE ELECTRICITY.
8. AVOID DRIVING DURING PEAK TRAFFIC HOURS.
9. DO NOT DRIVE ABOVE THE POSTED SPEED LIMIT.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION...OR
LOCAL CABLE TELEVISION FOR OFFICIAL INFORMATION FROM THE SOUTH
CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL. INFORMATION
IS ALSO AVAILABLE BY CALLING 1-800-LUNG USA OR FROM THE COLUMBIA
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WEB SITE AT { http://WWW.ERH.NOAA.GOV/ER/CAE }.

[Guest]

You know hot as it was last summer and stagnet i dont remember having any of them either but today this area had one as well most of Ohio and Michigan as well...................Had code reds except in Cleveland where they had orange.......

[Stormsfury]

I know exactly what you are talking about, Harry. The fact that we've had summers with stagnant high pressure ridges and extreme haze sets up due to a strong temperature inversion. The contaminent air is trapped down in the lowest layers of the atmosphere ... I've seen the news media and WFO's advise people about dangerous air qualities but never issued as an official advisory in this format ... especially in South Carolina ...

SF

[JetMaxx]

It's bad here in the Atlanta area guys. I began wheezing around 1 p.m. -- normally that doesn't occur until around 4 or 5 (when the ozone level peaks...then falls after sundown, and I stop wheezing).

What's alarming to me....it only reached 87 degrees at my location; and we've had plenty of rain. If we're reaching code red now, what lies ahead in July in August on those 95-100° afternoons, especially if rainfall is below average? (allowing pollutants to build up and the air to really become stagnant).