Air Quality in Skagit County
Overview
The total area of Skagit County, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, is 1,920 square miles. 1,731 square miles is land and 189 square miles is water. This land is famous for its good fertility. Being the center for cultivation of strawberries and tulips, Skagit County has four national protected areas: the North Cascades National Park, the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail, the Ross Lake National Recreation Area and the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
The vast Cascade Mountains rise to the east of the county and the Salish Sea lies to the west part. Skagit County is also known for its good air quality. Take a glance at the latest report of the air pollution in Skagit County.
Air Quality Index
In 2019 Skagit County was rated one of the cleanest counties in the United States for ozone pollution. It received an “A” grade for particle pollution. On these lands, people genuinely pay special attention to clean air and do their best to maintain its good condition.
In 2018 there were many forest fires, that significantly worsened the air quality, but over the year everything returned to its previous condition. At that point of time Mark Buford, an executive director of Northwest Clean Air Agency, said in a news release: “While this is mostly good news, for now, we expect results will decline when 2018 smoke impacts are factored into next year’s report.” Then he added: “And all signs point to wildfire impacts continuing into the future, so we are going to be facing ongoing air quality issues.”
Before this period a stable condition of air began in 2006. Look at the comparative data below.
Air quality indices (AQI) are special numbers that are used by government agencies to characterize the quality of the air at a given location. In case the government notice a gradual expansion of AQI, it means that the population may feel declining health.
Ozone
Below is a comparative graph that shows an average amount of ozone in the air by years.