New York City has literally gone from zero-to-sixty, really quick.
With below-freezing temperatures crippling the city at the end of last week, to the sudden warmth we were experiencing by Sunday afternoon, the abrupt shift has created air quality concerns. If you’ve noticed, at the top of The Weather Channel app, it has said since this weekend: “Unhealthy Air Quality for Sensitive Groups.” But what does that mean?
According to a lung specialist’s interview with CBS2, chemicals and road salt are the primary issue. In Dr. Len Horovitz’s interview, he says “This can be dangerous if it goes on, if you’re asthmatic, if you have pulmonary disease. This can be an exacerbation that can lead to hospitalization.” This is due to the heat causing those chemicals to rise into the air from the ground since the ground did not have ample time to absorb the salt and chemicals for the bitter cold days before the warmer temperatures swept in. As for the groups that might be more sensitive to the air conditions, this includes young children and the elderly.
featured image source: unsplash