What is a Smog Watch?

A Smog Watch is a call-to-action issued by the Clean Air Agency to encourage individuals and businesses to reduce their smog-producing activities during summer hot spells. By issuing a Smog Watch, we help protect public health and ensure the region does not exceed the federal health standard for ozone.

A Smog Watch is issued when agency meteorologists predict elevated smog levels within the next 48 hours and are expected to persist for several days. During a Smog Watch, we encourage people to voluntarily take steps that will keep smog levels from rising even higher.

Don’t get bogged by smog: Here’s what you can do

By adopting some of these permanent behaviors, we can all do our part to reduce smog, and protect our health and our environment:

• Drive less – and bus, bike, walk, or carpool more. Cars and trucks typically produce more than 700,000 pounds of smog-forming pollutants on a summer day in Puget Sound region.

• Stash the gas mower. Reducing use of gasoline powered yard equipment, or opting for electric or manually powered devices instead, helps keep smog levels down.

• Try pollution-free water recreation. Motor boats produce about 85,000 pounds of smog-forming pollutants each summer day in the Puget Sound region – try sailing, canoeing or kayaking instead.

• Quit idling around. Idling for longer than 30 seconds actually burns more fuel than turning off and restarting your engine. Turn off your engine instead. You’ll save money too!

• Refuel when it’s cool. Refueling your vehicles in cooler evening hours reduces the opportunity for Volatile Organic Compounds released by gasoline to turn into ozone.

• Be air aware. Join our Clean Air Action Network, and be among the first to know when we call a Smog Watch or when air-quality conditions indicate the need for early action.