Home Weather 

Story

Air Quality Index Color Code Guide

Air Quality
Weather Conditions Recommended Actions Health Effects
Good

AQI: 0-50
(Green)
  • Cool summer temperatures
  • Windy conditions
  • Significant cloud cover
  • Heavy or steady precipitation
  • Keep cars and boats tuned up
  • Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products
  • Conserve electricity-set A/C to highest comfortable level
  • No health effects are expected.
Moderate
AQI: 51-100
(Yellow)
  • Temperatures in the upper 70s to lower 80s
  • Light to moderate winds
  • Partly cloudy or mostly sunny skies
  • Chance of rain or afternoon thunderstorms
  • Keep cars and boats tuned up
  • Use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products
  • Conserve electricity-set A/C to highest comfortable level
  • Unusually sensitive people should consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
AQI: 101-150
(Orange)
  • Temperatures in the 80s and 90s
  • Light winds
  • Mostly sunny skies
  • Slight chance of afternoon thunderstorms
  • Limit daytime driving
  • Limit vehicle idling
  • Refuel vehicles after dusk
  • Don't "top off" your gas tank
  • Avoid congested periods
  • Use water-based paints
  • Use transit or car pool
  • Bike or walk for short trips
  • Use newest/best maintained car
  • Combine trips and share rides
  • Postpone using gasoline mowers
  • Barbecue without starter fluid
  • Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease, such as asthma, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
Unhealthy
AQI: 151-200
(Red)
  • Hot, hazy, and humid
  • Stagnant air
  • Sunny skies
  • Little chance of precipitation
  • Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease such as asthma, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should limit prolonged outdoor exertion.
Very Unhealthy

AQI: 201-300
(Purple)
  • Hot and very hazy
  • Extremely stagnant air
  • Sunny skies
  • No precipitation
  • Active children and adults, and people with respiratory disease such as asthma, should avoid all outdoor exertion; everyone else, especially children, should avoid prolonged outdoor exertion.
AQI refers to the Air Quality Index. An AQI of 100 is equivalent to the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
An AQI greater than 100 is considered to be above the national standard or NAAQS.
The weather conditions listed above are common weather types associated with the respective air quality levels.
A combination of part or of all these weather conditions could lead to a certain level of observed air quality.

Weather Headlines

Weather Closing Codes

If you are registered with WSOC-TV for weather closings, click here to report closings and delays. Full Story ››
  • How To Use The Severe Weather Center 9 Closings System


  • To renew your existing Channel 9 Weather Closing Code, please click here. Full Story ››


    If you haven’t already renewed or registered your organization with WSOC-TV for the 2008-2009 winter weather season, click here now! Weather codes are required to announce closings, and we cannot process requests during winter storms. Full Story ››


    Detailed Forecast

    Severe Weather Team 9 Detailed Forecast By
    John Ahrens
    Meteorologist John Ahrens
    Meteorologist Profile

    Mecklenburg County

    Soak up the nice weather while you can- we're slowly starting the transition back to gloomy skies. Rain will start to move in from the South by Sunday afternoon. Most of us will see more of a light nuisance kind of rain. That nuisance will be around the Carolinas through the first half of the week.

    This evening: A quiet and chilly night with lows eventually dropping to the 40s.
    Tomorrow: Scattered showers and cool temperatures in the 50s.
    Monday: A lousy way to start the work week: occasional showers and drizzle along with cool temps in the 50s.
    Tuesday: Clouds will be slow to give way. Highs in the upper 50s.
    Wednesday: Great travel weather for Thanksgiving, with plenty of sun and highs warming to the mid 60s.
    Thanksgiving Day: A sunny afternoon but we'll await a big blast of cold air. Temperatures in the upper 50s.

    Hot Deals