Overall mild weather conditions are expected this week, with high temperatures hovering in the low 80s each day, and skies remaining sunny or mostly sunny. Winds will also stay rather light, with maybe some light breezes on a couple of mornings (today and Thursday). We'll have to wait until the weekend for a more significant change in the weather pattern.

Air quality-wise, PM10 (dust) and PM2.5 (smoke) will be mostly locally driven this week. Therefore, highest levels of either pollutant are expected to occur in the industrial areas south/southwest of the Phoenix metro area. These areas will thus have the greatest likelihood of seeing Moderate PM10/PM2.5.

Elsewhere around the Valley, PM10 and PM2.5 could be elevated in the mornings/evenings, but levels should stay in the Good AQI category overall.

Fall Air quality Note: This time of year, as nights get cooler, the inversion strengthens. The inversion is a layer of warmer air that traps pollutants near the ground. With multiple consecutive days of generally stagnant weather this work week, the urban haze (i.e. "Brown Cloud") could become more noticeable.

Check back tomorrow morning for the next Phoenix air quality update.

- M. Graves
ADEQ Meteorologist