Air quality alerts are in effect across parts of Southern California and southeastern Colorado as blowing dust and wildfire smoke drive pollution to unhealthy levels.
Officials are urging residents to keep windows and doors closed.
The warnings stretch from the Coachella and Imperial valleys to several Colorado counties, where millions of people could deal with poor air through the weekend and, in some places, into early next week, Newsweek reported.
What's happening?
The National Weather Service and local air agencies have issued warnings for several regions as fine particle pollution builds in the air.
In Southern California, the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert through Monday morning for the Coachella Valley and the San Gorgonio Pass near Banning, including Palm Springs, Indio, and La Quinta. In the Imperial Valley, a separate blowing-dust alert was in effect Sunday in the daytime and evening hours, roughly from midday through midnight.
In southeastern Colorado, a wildfire-smoke air quality health advisory remained in place through Sunday morning for Bent, Prowers, Otero, Las Animas, and Baca counties.
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The source of the pollution differs by region, but the risk is similar: elevated levels of tiny airborne particles that can travel deep into the lungs.
In California's desert areas, strong winds are kicking up dry soil and dust. In Colorado, smoke from active wildfires is drifting over populated areas and producing periods of moderate to heavy smoke.
This kind of alert can quickly reshape daily routines.
Why are the air quality alerts concerning?
The main concern is particle pollution, also known as particulate matter. These microscopic solids and droplets are small enough to bypass many of the body's natural defenses and reach deep into the lungs, and in some cases, enter the bloodstream.
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That makes polluted air especially risky for children, older adults, people with asthma or other lung conditions, and anyone with heart disease. Outdoor workers and others who spend extended periods outside can also face greater exposure.
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