Summer Air Quality Concerns
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — With temperatures forecasted to rise over the next several days, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department and Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District remind residents that the summer brings air quality concerns including the potential for wildfires and the formation of smog. Wildfires, in Santa Barbara County or outside the region, can lead to increased levels of particulate matter. Hot weather, coupled with inversion layers that can trap pollution low to the ground, can contribute to elevated levels of ozone, commonly referred to as smog.