The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has issued an Air Quality Action Day (AQAD) for Friday, June 15, for ozone in Northwest and Central Indiana.

The AQAD includes the counties of Porter, Lake, LaPorte, St. Joseph, and Elkhart and the cities of Gary, Hammond, Michigan City, South Bend, and Elkhart.

In view of the AQAD, the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission is urging folks to take sensible steps to reduce air emissions tomorrow:

•Avoid refueling during the day.

•Avoid unnecessary mowing or vehicle idling.

•Carpool if possible.

Expect ozone levels to reach the unhealthy for sensitive groups range on Friday, IDEM said, with clear skies and very warm temperatures forecasted with highs in the upper 80s to 90 degrees and a southeast wind direction becoming south-southeast by Friday evening.

Wind speeds on Friday will be between 6 and 12 miles per hour (mph) in Northwest Indian, light enough on Friday that a lake breeze (north to northwest wind direction) will develop along the southeast and south shore of Lake Michigan. This will produce the highest ozone concentrations along the Lake Michigan shore line at Michigan City, Ogden Dunes, Gary, and Whiting.

There’s a potential to continue the air quality action day for Saturday and Sunday, but a couple of factors such as predicted faster wind speeds and increasing cloudiness will not be as conducive, especially on Sunday.

Posted 6/14/2012