Smoke from wildfires, ozone air pollution and high temperatures impacted the Sacramento region during two week-long episodes in late June and early July, 2008.
Sacramento's normal summertime ozone air pollution that year was made worse by smoke from hundreds of wildfires burning in Northern California which was trapped over the Sacramento region by a stubborn high pressure system and light winds.
This type of episode could happen again as our state experiences drought conditions and periods of hot, dry summer weather.
Please follow our links below to view helpful information about the health effects of air pollution as well as air quality forecasts and maps provided by the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and U.S. EPA's AirNOW program.