Does the Weather Affect Air Quality?

A t first glance, the two seem unrelated. But when you think about it, changes in temperature, weather conditions, atmospheric pressure, and more are bound to also produce changes in air purity. In fact, there are direct and indirect ways in which the weather and weather-related elements impact the quality of the air we inhale.

You cannot plan accordingly to make sure you inhale as little pollutants as possible. Both indoor and outdoor air purity is at stake, and while there is little that you can do to remedy outdoor air purity, the same isn’t valid for the indoor environment. Here, you are the one in charge, so as long as you know that there is a potential issue with air quality, you can solve it ASAP.

Let’s move on and learn everything there is to know about the weather’s influence on air quality and how you can improve air purity. Here’s how it goes:

View of a Park During Sunny Autumn Weather

How Does the Weather Influence Air Purity?

How the weather fares at any particular moment can, directly and indirectly, affect air quality. There is also the issue that specific types of pollution are worse during heat or cold. Moreover, your response to weather changes and trying to create thermal comfort indoors also impact air purity.

Let’s divide the topic into two sections to make matters easier to follow. First, let’s look at how the weather directly influences the quality of the air that you breathe. Then, I want to discuss the indirect ways in which changes in weather impact air pollution levels. Suppose you take notice of the weather’s effect on air purity. In that case, you can ameliorate its impact on indoor air purity and plan your trips outdoors to ensure minimal contact with polluted air. Now let’s see how these two are connected: weather and air purity.

I. Weather that Directly Impacts Air Purity

• When the wind blows, it can disperse pollutants. In turn, this eases air pollution in your area. However, wind doesn’t clear particulate matter pollution but moves the issue elsewhere. So, while you might breathe cleaner air thanks to those high winds, people in locations near you that won’t be as lucky.
• When the weather is hot, especially during heatwaves, ozone can reach dangerous levels since the reactions that create it necessitate sunlight. As conditions are met, ozone levels grow, and air purity deprecates. So, when you notice the indoor outdoor thermometer displays high temperatures over a few days, it’s safe to assume that air purity is no longer on par because of ozone production.
• A type of weather that results in positive changes is rain. When it rains, pollution levels lower since the water droplets from the sky wash away some pollutants.
• Temperature inversions occur when warm air forms over cooler air on the ground. Woefully, as temperature inversion occurs, pollution is kept from dispersing to other locations, remaining trapped in an area. The situation becomes even more complicated if the area where thermal inversion occurs is a valley since severe pollution can occur because of the lack of ventilation options.

Strong Wind in Beach Area

II. How the Weather Indirectly Affects Air Pollution

When certain weather events take place or weather changes occur, there are indirect ways in which air purity is influenced. These indirect effects usually come as a result of your response to the changing conditions, attempting to regulate temperatures by using appliances and devices that ultimately negatively affect air purity. Still, there are other ways in which the two are indirectly linked.

The most significant indirect effect is produced in winter. During cold waves and generally when the temperatures are low, combustion is widely used to warm homes. According to research, wood-burning fireplaces or wood burners are among the most dangerous since these triple the indoor air pollution. You can look for less problematic heating options to keep your home warm without polluting the indoor or outdoor environment as much.

During winter, there is an additional source of air pollution, namely your vehicle. You must idle the car to have it up and running in the harsh winter conditions. If you depend on your personal vehicle, there is little you can do to lower your air pollution participation in this scenario. However, I recommend carpooling, taking public transportation, or finding other solutions to get from point A to point B when necessary.

Bottom Line

Breathing in clean, impurity-free air is something we all aim for. However, so many factors influence air pollution levels that it becomes tough to ensure proper conditions are met. As you can see, even the weather plays a part in determining how pure the air will be indoors and outdoors. While some effects are direct and caused by weather events like rain, wind, or heatwaves, others are indirect, like the fact you use combustion to warm your home during winter.

You can’t change the weather, that’s for sure. But you can reduce the effect it has on air purity. However, you need to know the exact connection between the two. This is the subject I covered today, and I hope it helps answer all your questions about the weather’s impact on air purity. So until next time’s piece, I wish you the best of luck in dealing with changing weather conditions and air pollution reduction.