California
Related: About this forumWhat is it with the Central Valley?. Air Quality Index is nasty.
Dense fog past noon in Fresno and Merced.
The Unmitigated Gall
(4,612 posts)Basso8vb
(458 posts)Inversion layer with the mountains on either side trapping all that dirty air.
Nigrum Cattus
(228 posts)Most of Californians oil & gas production occurs around & between Bakersfield & Fresno.
Link to how much is above - the site is very pro oil & gas - just for statistics
usonian
(14,585 posts)That's a very red area, BUT Congressional District 13, flipped blue! Merced, Stanislaus and San Joaquin counties came through.
Reference: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-elections/california-us-house-district-13-results
Clouds Passing
(2,695 posts)Old Crank
(4,879 posts)The air quality was always worse down in the lower valley. The prevailing winds blow from the bay area down the central valley. There is a ring of mountains there that traps pollution and agriculture dust in that bowl. Combined with a normal winter inversion layer up goes the pollution count.
usonian
(14,585 posts)Then again, what was a little rainstorm in the valley the other year was 2 feet of snow and howling winds a half-mile in elevation. It's usually 7 to 10 degrees cooler at altitude, summer and winter. It rarely freezes in the valley, maybe a few cold spots, but I have heat tapes on my pipes for good reason.