| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Smog levels reach unhealthy levels in Southern California
FridayLOS ANGELES (AP) Reversing a trend of recent years, Southern California smog levels reached unhealthy levels before Memorial Day, air quality regulators said Friday.
Beginning May 16, the region had seven straight days where ozone, a main ingredient in smog, reached unhealthy levels in Riverside, desert areas such as Palm Springs and foothill communities such as Santa Clarita and Pasadena, according to the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
In recent years the air quality has remained good until about mid-June.
A layer of warm air trapped smog over valleys and contributed to the poor air quality, AQMD spokesman Sam Atwood said.
Cooler temperatures, coastal fog and mild breezes slightly improved the air quality Friday, he added, and predicted the smog would dissipate for the Memorial Day weekend.
The AQMD region includes all or parts of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
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