Cough, cough: Arizona thunderstorms ignite dust advisory for Las Vegas Valley

Clark County’s air quality took a hit Monday when windblown dust from Arizona thunderstorms moved into the area leaving unhealthy air and murky views in its wake.

The intrusion of dust into the valley’s airspace prompted a dust advisory from the Clark County Environment &Sustainability’s Division of Air Quality.

The advisory was set to expire at midnight Monday, but the advisory noted officials would monitor weather conditions overnight to determine if the advisory needs to be extended into Tuesday.

Air quality monitors recorded very unhealthy to hazardous levels of air pollution in the central Las Vegas Valley as of 8 a.m. Monday. Air remained unhealthy until 1 p.m., after which air quality improved to mostly moderate with some pockets of air considered unhealthy for sensitive groups, according to the Environmental Project Agency’s AirNow website.

Clark County remains under a seasonal ozone and wildfire smoke advisory until Sept. 30.

The poor air quality came on the final day of an extreme heat warning by the National Weather Service as more monsoonal moisture moves into Southern Nevada.

Forecasters are predicting chances of thunderstorms or showers into the weekend, with high temperatures falling from the low 100s to the upper 90s from Thursday to Saturday before triple-digit conditions return on Sunday.

Tips to limit exposure to dust

Airborne dust is a form of inhalable air pollution called particulate matter or PM, which aggravates respiratory diseases, the county said. Under windy conditions, people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children may feel better staying indoors as much as possible. They could be at greater risk from particulates, especially when they are physically active, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

■ Limit outdoor exertion on windy days when dust is in the air.

■ Keep windows and doors closed.

■ Run your air conditioner inside your house and car to filter out particulates.

■ Consider changing your indoor air filters if they are dirty.

■ Don’t take short cuts across vacant lots.

■ To keep dust down, drive slowly on unpaved roads.

■ Ride off-road vehicles in approved areas outside the urban valley.

Call the Environment and Sustainability’s dust complaint hotline at 702-385-DUST (3878) to report excessive amounts of blowing dust from construction sites, vacant lots or facilities.