"The arrival of unusually warm January air in the Bay Area has made the need for wood burning a little less than it might be, a bit of a fortunate circumstance given that it will be illegal for residents to do so until at least Sunday. Two more Spare the Air alerts came calling from the Bay Area Air District on Thursday, adding to the one that already was in effect."
"The air district cited concentrations of particulate matter commonly known as smog to be elevated to a level where it's closing in on being unhealthy for those with respiratory or other health issues. The air district anticipates the air to remain in the moderately healthy range. A build up of high-pressure in the lower part of the atmosphere has allowed a summer-like bubble to park itself over the region,"
"That dynamic also has contributed to tule fog that covered the North Bay for much of Thursday morning and areas of the East Bay in Contra Costa and Alameda counties for part of it. That tule fog is expected to remain in those areas, though offshore winds from the east have helped keep most of the region clear of it, NWS meteorologist Karleisa Rogacheski said. The areas that received it got a thick dose."
Unusually warm January air across the Bay Area reduced the need for wood burning while wood burning remains illegal through at least Sunday because of Spare the Air alerts. The Bay Area Air District issued three alerts in the first 16 days of 2026, compared with four alerts in all of 2025. Particulate matter concentrations rose toward levels that could be unhealthy for people with respiratory or other health issues, though the air was expected to remain moderately healthy. A lower-atmosphere high-pressure bubble trapped pollution and generated dense tule fog in parts of the North Bay and East Bay, sharply reducing visibility in affected locations while other areas stayed clear.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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