⬤ PurpleAir · Real-Time Sensors
19
Good
4 sensors · updates every 2 min
PM2.5: 4.6 µg/m³
Air quality is fine. Go outside.
◎ AirNow · Official EPA Reading
28
Good
driven by fine particles (PM2.5)
Reported 12:00 AM EST · updates hourly
⚠ May be delayed — check PurpleAir
Air quality is fine. Go outside.
☔ Rain scrubs smoke particles from the air — AQI typically returns to normal levels during and after rainfall.
US EPA Air Quality Index Scale
0–50
Good — little or no risk
51–100
Moderate — unusually sensitive people may have symptoms
101–150
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups — kids, older adults, lung/heart conditions
151–200
Unhealthy — everyone may begin to feel effects
201–300
Very Unhealthy — health alert; everyone affected
301–500
Hazardous — emergency conditions; stay indoors
Fire & Smoke maps use satellite imagery — plumes may not show at night or under heavy cloud cover. Use the HRRR forecast below for a ground-level view.
Surface smoke forecast (NOAA HRRR model) — click ▶ Play to animate the next 48 hours. Model updates at 2 AM, 8 AM, 2 PM & 8 PM EDT
Poor air quality? Do this now.
Six things that actually reduce what reaches your lungs. Takes about two minutes.
1
Turn on a HEPA filter and leave it running. Don’t cycle it on and off — it needs time to work through the whole room’s air.
2
Close the windows — and storm windows too. Including overnight when the cool air is tempting. Storm windows add a second barrier that reduces particle infiltration significantly.
3
Hit recirculate in the car. The button with the arrow looping inside the car outline. Pulling outside air in means your cabin filter is fighting a losing battle.
4
Wear an N95 outdoors. Cloth and surgical masks do not stop these particles — it has to seal against your face. Walmart carries them in the home improvement section near the paint, around $8 for a two-pack. Check that “N95” is printed on the mask itself. The ones with a small round valve are worth grabbing — the valve vents heat so you’ll actually keep it on. Protection is identical either way.
5
Check your central air filter — use MERV 12 or higher if your system supports it. Standard filters (MERV 1–8) don’t catch fine particles. A MERV 12+ filter traps PM2.5-sized particles through your whole home’s airflow. Check your furnace manual or the filter slot label for the maximum MERV rating your system supports — too high a rating restricts airflow and can strain the blower.
6
Check on the people who feel it first — anyone with asthma, COPD, or heart disease, young kids, older adults, anyone pregnant. A bad air day is a reason to change plans, not tough it out.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) — Erie Region
Real-time VOC readings from PurpleAir sensors across the Erie region, in Bosch Static IAQ units, updated every two minutes.
How to read VOC readings
0100200300400500+
Lighter shade = fewer VOCs detected. Darker shade = more. The scale is experimental — PurpleAir assigns no health categories because the same reading can come from a backyard grill, a passing truck, or a nearby factory. Watch the trend, not a single spike.
Northern Lights — Erie, PA
Aurora visibility outlook from NOAA space weather data
Camera only
Unlikely to be visible to the naked eye. A long exposure pointed north might catch a tint.
4.3
Current Kp
4.7
Tonight’s peak Kp
Tonight
Kp 4.7
Camera only
Tue Sep 8
Kp 5.0
Possible
Wed Sep 9
Kp 3.0
Unlikely
Dark sky tonight:
9:21 PM to
5:16 AM Full astronomical darkness for Erie. Outside this window the sky is still too bright for anything but a very strong display.
Moon:
Waning crescent, ~13% illuminated.
Dark skies — good conditions for spotting faint aurora.
Sky transparency:
Excellent
— PM2.5 is 4.6 µg/m³ across
4 local PurpleAir sensors.
Surface particulates are only a rough proxy for how clear the whole sky column is — smoke aloft can leave the ground reading clean while the sky still looks milky.
Looking north over the lake is Erie’s advantage. There are no city lights out over the water, so the northern horizon is darker here than almost anywhere inland. Get away from streetlights and give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust.
Kp is not a guarantee. It is a three-hour global average, not a local forecast. Clouds, moonlight and light pollution all decide what you actually see, and short substorms can produce a brief display even at a lower Kp. Check the cloud forecast before you drive anywhere.