MEMPHIS, TN — A Code Orange ozone forecast is in effect for the Memphis region on Tuesday, with health officials warning that air quality may reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups. The alert covers Shelby County in Tennessee, Crittenden County in Arkansas, and DeSoto County in Mississippi, including the city of Memphis.
The Shelby County Health Department said forecasted ozone values are expected to rise above the Environmental Protection Agency’s federal safe health standard. Officials are urging people who are more vulnerable to take extra precautions and pay close attention to air quality updates as conditions change through the evening and into Tuesday.
What the alert means
According to the health department, a Code Orange ozone forecast signals air pollution levels that can affect sensitive groups more than the general public. Those groups include active children and adults, along with people who have respiratory conditions such as asthma.
Officials recommend limiting prolonged outdoor exertion during the alert period. That means reducing long workouts, outdoor labor, and other activities that keep people breathing hard for extended stretches…