Overview
- Pennsylvania DEP alerts cover Philadelphia, Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Delaware counties, as well as Lehigh, Berks and Northampton.
- Central counties including Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon and York are under Code Orange today, with some alerts extended through Feb. 20.
- Officials cite elevated PM2.5 from a temperature inversion and weak mixing that are concentrating pollution near the ground.
- Sensitive groups such as children, older adults and people with asthma or heart and lung disease are advised to limit strenuous outdoor activity.
- Residents are urged to reduce emissions by avoiding fireplaces, wood stoves and open burning, while forecasters expect a Friday front to markedly improve air quality.