Warming trend to hit Modesto, and air district urges a pause from wood burning
The National Weather Service predicts patchy night and morning fog for Modesto in the days ahead, and above-average temperatures into the weekend.
The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District warns that the high-pressure system is expected to trap pollution and asks residents to avoid wood burning.
Stagnant, dry conditions through the middle of next week will cause PM2.5 emissions (particulate matter pollution) to accumulate, resulting in higher concentrations through the Valley air basin, which includes Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Merced and other counties, according to a news release.
Strong nighttime inversions and little to no winds trap pollutants on the Valley floor. “Stable conditions like those we are currently experiencing are one of the main challenges the San Joaquin Valley faces during the winter months,” air district spokeswoman Jaime Holt said in the news release. “This causes residential wood smoke to stay in your neighborhood, impacting the health of you and your neighbors.”
Daily high temperatures this week, according to the NWS forecast for Modesto, will be near 64 degrees Wednesday, near 63 Thursday through Saturday, and near 64 again on Sunday and Monday, which is Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The average temperature for all those dates, Jan. 13-18, is 54 degrees, according to Modesto Irrigation District weather records.
Residential wood burning is among the Valley’s largest sources of winter PM2.5 emissions, according to the air district. It warns that adherence to the Check Before You Burn program is critical to prevent air pollution from reaching unhealthy levels.
District officials ask that residents avoid heating their homes by burning wood, if possible, and also not use outdoor wood burning devices including fire pits, fireplaces and chimineas.
Check Before You Burn runs through February every year and provides daily declarations, by county, indicating if wood burning is allowed in the county that day.
Daily burn information is available by visiting www.valleyair.org/cbyb, by calling 1-800-766-4463 or by downloading the free “Valley Air” app on a mobile device. Residents also may sign up for daily email wood-burning notifications at lists.valleyair.org/mailman/listinfo/residential_wood_burning_rule.
The Burn Cleaner incentive program offers up to $3,000 to upgrade from older, high-polluting wood stoves and open-hearth fireplaces to natural gas inserts. To participate, visit www.valleyair.org/burncleaner.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 2:08 PM.
