An air pollution episode in the Monongahela Valley has ended, the Allegheny County Health Department said Friday evening.

Shortly before 8 p.m., the health department announced in a news release that the Air Quality Index reading for the valley now is within acceptable levels.

Air quality monitors showed a particulate matter, or  pm2.5, reading in the yellow, or moderate range; it had been in the higher orange and red ranges earlier in the week as a result of smoke from Canadian wildfires.

On Saturday morning, the monitors still showed readings in the yellow range.

The current air quality readings and forecasts can be found at: https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Health-Department/Programs/Air-Quality/Air-Quality.aspx.

According to the website, the smoke plume moved overnight Thursday into Friday, staying more aloft, meaning that concentrations of pollution did not rise significantly.

The website AirNow.gov says the pm2.5 reading should continue to drop through the weekend and into early next week.

First Published: June 10, 2023, 12:04 a.m.
Updated: June 10, 2023, 1:45 p.m.