Temperature

Air quality can decrease when the temperatures increase, especially during the summer months. The combination of the heat and sunlight can speed up the chemical reactions of air pollutants, creating ground-level ozone.

Another way that temperatures can impact and contribute to air quality. Usually, the air cools, the higher it gets in the atmosphere. But within urbanized areas or cities surrounded by hills and mountains, the opposite can happen and the temperature increases with height. When this happens, it is called a temperature inversion. The warm air aloft can act as a lid, trapping smoke, smog, and other pollutants at the surface.