Spare the Air alert issued for Friday

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has issued a Spare the Air alert for Friday because of excessive smog expected in the region.

The alert, the third issued by the air district for smog in 2020, is the result of a forecast of light winds and temperatures of up to triple digits in inland parts of the Bay Area that will combine with vehicle exhaust to create an unhealthy level of smog, otherwise known as ozone.

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Smog can cause breathing problems and other medical maladies, so the air district encourages Bay Area residents to only exercise outdoors in the early morning hours when smog concentrations are lower, as well as to work remotely and avoid long car trips to limit the levels of vehicle exhaust.

People can find out when a Spare the Air alert is in effect by texting the word "START" to 81757, registering for email alerts at www.sparetheair.org, calling (800) HELP-AIR, downloading the Spare the Air smartphone apps, or connecting with Spare the Air on Facebook or Twitter.

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