Anyone notice the air is different?

[Ciavete]

First, hope everyone and loved ones are safe and sound.

Got out for a ride along a beautiful water reservoir in the peninsula in the SF Bay Area. Have done that ride a thousand times. Yesterday, though, it felt like someone had pumped up the o2 big time. Like the entire outdoors had been air conditioned after a new filter install.

Same today; the air was exhilarating.

Could be a case of getting delirious, either from the shelter in place, or the sudden uptick in o2.

Be safe everyone. Stay home, except to ride.

[shrimp123]

i agree.....
anytime i rode to top of Mt Hamilton, i could see a brown layer and the moment i come close to the restuarant on the last downhill, i could smell the poor air quality.

early this week, i was worried that i lost my sense of smell! I had to take out my head wipe to confirm that i am still ok

I love the air, enjoy the reduced number of cars, and the fact that there are more people enjoying outdoors.

[kramnnim]

Full of pollen here.

[robt57]

Full of pollen here.

Worst tree pollen year I've seen. Maybe the trees are happier with the cleaner air...

[jtbadge]

Miles and miles of visibility in LA. Unreal

[dbnm]

Just pollen here in NM

https://waqi.info/

[ultraman6970]

Here had been cold and rainy the last 3 weeks but when the sun comes out pollen hits like crazy :(

Full of pollen here.

[vqdriver]

Miles and miles of visibility in LA. Unreal

Yep. Warm day like today usually means gross haze but the sky was glorious

[dgauthier]

Yup. Here in Los Angeles everyone is commenting about it. A couple of days ago around 7:30am I noticed the sky and light reminded me of Yosemite. It has *never* looked like that in the 30 years I've lived here.

[oldpotatoe]

First, hope everyone and loved ones are safe and sound.

Got out for a ride along a beautiful water reservoir in the peninsula in the SF Bay Area. Have done that ride a thousand times. Yesterday, though, it felt like someone had pumped up the o2 big time. Like the entire outdoors had been air conditioned after a new filter install.

Same today; the air was exhilarating.

Could be a case of getting delirious, either from the shelter in place, or the sudden uptick in o2.

Be safe everyone. Stay home, except to ride.

Mother Nature is trying to tell us dumm-arse humans something. Will we learn from this? Nope..

[AngryScientist]

mentioned this elsewhere, but recently, we've been star gazing many nights here in NJ - that's very unusual. i like it.

[sparky33]

I love the air, enjoy the reduced number of cars, and the fact that there are more people enjoying outdoors.

This is the silver lining for sure.

I hope the world notices the benefits of this carbon hiatus.

[jamesdak]

Well along with the theme of this. Maybe we should let the virus run it's course naturally and clear out some of the over population? Nature's way of culling the herd....

[Velocipede]

The pollen is horrible here and we just had snow last night. But the air quality is much better. The satellite photos prove it.

[Velocipede]

Well along with the theme of this. Maybe we should let the virus run it's course naturally and clear out some of the over population? Nature's way of culling the herd....

That's what someone asked Dr. Fauci. Why can't they just let it wash over the US?

[oldpotatoe]

Well along with the theme of this. Maybe we should let the virus run it's course naturally and clear out some of the over population? Nature's way of culling the herd....

You forgot the ":eek:" or ":)"

[Bruce K]

Let’s not go there AGAIN.

This is not the place for that type of discussion and will end this thread quickly.

BK

[C40_guy]

No noticeable change to the air here on cape cod...but then again we usually have a nice fresh breeze coming in from the ocean...

:)

I did just notice that we've had less air traffic from the Joint Air Base Cape Cod...occasionally have big cargo planes or CG helis flying over, or the fighter planes heading up to Boston on opening day. It's been very quiet.

[paredown]

Like Angry, we have really noticed the difference in the air quality here a the fringes of New York--and the stars have been amazing at night...

The other thing that people are commenting on--and it is probably partly just the reduced background noise from less traffic--but the birds are talking a lot. (Neighbors who have been commuting for years are delighted--they think it sounds more like Italy in the mornings now...)

[Blue Jays]

"...Let’s not go there AGAIN..."
Thank you. Excellent post. Agree 100%.

[unterhausen]

I'm curious if it has had any effect here in Pennsyltucky. I'm sure at one time Pittsburgh and eastern Ohio gave us some crummy air, but I'm not so sure that's still true.

[2cg]

Judging by some recent sunsets, it looks like there's less smog in the air above highways.

[Elefantino]

In March, the LA basin had the cleanest air-quality month ever recorded since the dawn of tracking in the 1940s.

[XXtwindad]

Like Angry, we have really noticed the difference in the air quality here a the fringes of New York--and the stars have been amazing at night...

The other thing that people are commenting on--and it is probably partly just the reduced background noise from less traffic--but the birds are talking a lot. (Neighbors who have been commuting for years are delighted--they think it sounds more like Italy in the mornings now...)

I've definitely noticed that as well. It's a great sound. And yes, the air is a lot cleaner. Eternally hopeful that this could be a prolonged silver lining to the Pandemic.

[Elefantino]

Eternally hopeful that this could be a prolonged silver lining to the Pandemic.
Would love to see that but I think our infrastructure is such that when we get the all-clear we'll be back to full driving mode immediately. I hope I'm wrong, too!

[Ken Robb]

I read that air quality in San Diego has improved 73% over 2019. There was no detail on test method but I can see better/farther lately.

[SoCalSteve]

We live on the 8th floor of a high rise overlooking the Santa Monica mountain range and the Santa Monica bay. It’s truly been amazing how sparkling clear it is. Definitely an upside of the Safer at Hone order the government leaders put into place a month ago....:)

[C40_guy]

Would love to see that but I think our infrastructure is such that when we get the all-clear we'll be back to full driving mode immediately. I hope I'm wrong, too!

In the meantime, have to remember to drive the car(s) briefly every couple of weeks to scrub the rust of the brake rotors and to top off the battery charge... :)

[Elefantino]

We live on the 8th floor of a high rise overlooking the Santa Monica mountain range and the Santa Monica bay. It’s truly been amazing how sparkling clear it is. Definitely an upside of the Safer at Hone order the government leaders put into place a month ago....:)

You riding?

[jamesdak]

You forgot the ":eek:" or ":)"


Did I? ;)

[415km]

Agreed,air is way cleaner, climbing feels much easier. I live just south of SF on the coast and the ocean seems much clearer to me as well.
Birds in my yard are extremely happy and chirpy!

[William]

Nice to see how quickly things clear up. Hopefully in the macro sense people take notice and that maybe this event shows more people/businesses* that it's possible to work from home and eliminate the daily commute for many.


*Those that have jobs that are possible to work from home.







W.

[SoCalSteve]

You riding?

Yeah, more now than ever. My riding buddy is working from home ( and has very little work ) so we have been riding during the week. Used to be only on Sundays.

Another bonus, very few cars on the roads, so we have been exploring areas of LA that we would normally not ride in because of the traffic. Yesterday we did a couple loops up and down Rodeo Dr. We did not see one car the whole time. Really fun!!!

Public restrooms have been left open, but the beach and parks are totally shut down.

[Skenry]

No different here in the midwest, though it has been a little cooler and wetter than normal.

[572cv]

There seems to have been more clarity here in northwestern Vermont as well, though we're pretty rural and it might be wishful thinking. All the same, i hope something comes of it in terms of popular awareness of the real state of the atmosphere.

[Vonruden]

mentioned this elsewhere, but recently, we've been star gazing many nights here in NJ - that's very unusual. i like it.

Jersey Shore, the sky is a more vibrant blue and clouds appear brighter white. Was commenting to my wife, feel like I’m smoking something, which I haven’t done in years. :)

[Spdntrxi]

Not much change actually... I still see spikes to normal values in the AQI data for a few cities I looked at. There was a lull after the 3/16-4/1 , but still some spikes to normal ..just maybe 1 or 2 less spikes then in a normal month. I think it's wishful thinking.

[Seramount]

with a dramatic decrease in auto use and some frequent rains to wash things out of the air, the sky has been almost painfully blue here.