MEMPHIS, TN — A Code Orange ozone forecast is in effect for the Memphis region for this evening and Tuesday, with the Shelby County Health Department warning that air quality will be unhealthy for sensitive groups. The alert covers Shelby County in Tennessee, Crittenden County in Arkansas and DeSoto County in Mississippi, including Memphis.
Officials say ozone values are expected to exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s federal safe health standard. That means people who are most vulnerable may feel the effects first, especially during longer stretches outdoors. The health department is urging residents to keep checking for updated air quality forecasts until monitored values return to safer levels.
Who Should Be Most Careful
The warning focuses on active children and adults, along with people who have respiratory conditions such as asthma. Health officials recommend that those groups limit prolonged outdoor exertion while the ozone forecast remains in place.
For everyone else, the advisory is still a reminder to pay attention to conditions before heading out for exercise, yard work or other time outside. Code Orange is not the most severe air-quality category, but it does signal a level that can be unhealthy for people who are more sensitive to pollution. The county health department is directing residents to AirNow for the latest readings and guidance.
What The Forecast Means For The Mid-South
The alert comes as the region deals with ongoing weather and air-quality concerns across the Mid-South. FOX13 Memphis has also been tracking rain chances, heat, and severe-weather updates for the area, adding to a week of changing conditions for local residents.
Because ozone levels can shift with weather patterns, the health department says the advisory should stay on the radar through Tuesday. Residents in the three-county area, including Memphis, are being asked to watch for updates and adjust outdoor plans if conditions worsen or if symptoms appear.
Where To Check Updates
The Shelby County Health Department says monitored values must return to safe levels before the warning can be lifted. Until then, residents should keep an eye on air-quality forecasts and official notices for the latest timing and conditions.
More information is available through AirNow, the federal air-quality website referenced by health officials. The alert applies to the current forecast window for Tuesday, with concern centered on ozone exposure rather than smoke, dust or another pollutant.
When the weather turns dangerous, SVH Snow is watching.
