Air quality in the Hollister area remained at an unhealthy level Friday morning.
The Monterey Bay Air Resources District had Hollister’s Fairview road station measuring a 113 Air Quality Index number as of Friday morning. Anything from 100-150 is considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. Anything 150-200 is considered unhealthy overall.
Those numbers tend to fluctuate throughout the day depending on shifts in the winds, as Hollister jumped from an 82 into the unhealthy categories from morning to afternoon Thursday. It’s the only monitoring station in the area outside of Pinnacles National Park, which had a 62 measurement and has been relatively insulated from the recent air pollution.
Hollister had measurements reaching unhealthy levels throughout Thursday afternoon, prompting some action by local schools such as cancellation of afterschool practices and outdoor activities at San Benito High and Gavilan College’s closure of campus.
It was unclear as of 6 a.m. what action, if any, locals schools might take Friday.
The poor air quality measurements, which rate the amount of pollutants or particles in the air, are attributed to the Camp Fire in Butte County.
The AQI will vary by region as well. Gilroy had a 159. San Jose had a 184. Santa Cruz had a 123. Salinas had an 89 as of Friday morning, which is considered in the “moderate” range.
When the number is 100-150, residents are advised that active people, and others with respiratory disease such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion. In the 150-200 range, everyone should limit prolonged outdoor activity, according to experts.
Air quality remains poor Friday morning
