Ozone levels expected to be high this week

Wednesday will be the San Antonio area's second ozone action alert day of 2023. Ozone levels are forecast to be at unhealthy levels through Friday.

San Antonians with asthma or other respiratory conditions should limit their time outside Wednesday due to unhealthy levels of smog pollution.

Wednesday is the San Antonio area's second ozone action day this year. There were 19 last year.

Conditions are favorable for producing high levels of pollution, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, which issues ozone action day alerts. Austin, Houston and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex will also be under the same alert Wednesday.

Ground-level ozone, or smog as it's better known, forms when sunlight and industrial and vehicle emissions mix.

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San Antonio's Metropolitan Health District advises older people, young children and those with respiratory conditions like asthma, emphysema and bronchitis to stay indoors as much as possible.

Everyone is encouraged to take steps to reduce ozone pollution by limiting time spent in the car or idling vehicle engines. Carpool to work with a coworker or use public transportation. Combine errands to reduce trips. Avoid going through the drive-thru and instead, order inside. Metro Health suggests waiting until after 6 p.m. to put gas in your vehicle.

It also encourages people to set their thermostats 2 to 3 degrees higher than usual from 2 to 7 p.m. If you can, set your thermostat to 78 degrees, the optimal energy-saving temperature.

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By this same time last year, the TCEQ had already issued four ozone action alerts for San Antonio. The first alert this year came in mid-May.

Ozone levels in San Antonio are forecast to remain at unhealthy levels through Thursday and Friday, according to the TCEQ.

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