You may have heard your local weatherperson or meteorologist mention that a particular day is an "Air Quality Alert Day" and that certain sensitive groups should limit excess outdoor activity. What exactly does that mean?

Through the USA AIRNow website, a partnership between multiple government agencies including the National Park Service and National Weather Service, you can find out more information about potential harmful particles in the air where you live and where you may travel.

The website defines the "Air Quality Index", specifying when particulates in the air can cause potentially-unhealthy environments. Plus, you can view a map showing where Air Quality Alerts, or "Action Days", are or will be soon called. For particulate and ozone details, you can select individual cities or areas such as national parks.

The site also has external links to web cams, state-specific air quality resources, a learning center for kids, movies related to air quality, news articles, and other information.

AIRNow - http://airnow.gov/

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