05/18/2026
📢 An Air Quality Action Day for Ozone has been declared for Monday, May 18th and Tuesday, May 19th, 2026! Sensitive individuals, including the very young, the elderly, and persons with respiratory diseases such as asthma, should avoid strenuous activities during the afternoon and early evening hours.
A Bermuda high pressure system extending across much of the East Coast will be the controlling weather pattern for the next couple of days, allowing hot and humid air to funnel into the region. Persistent sunshine and above seasonal temperatures are forecasted for Monday, with values expected to reach the low-to-mid-90s. Light southerly winds are expected early, shifting to a southwesterly flow as the day progresses. These weather conditions will create a favorable environment for ozone concentrations to quickly rise with levels forecast to reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (USG) category along the I-95 corridor and northern regions of the Garden State. Tuesday, ample sunshine and hot conditions are expected to continue, with temperatures forecast to soar into mid-90s. Winds shifting slightly west will move the hot spot for ozone concentrations slightly south, with the highest Air Quality Index (AQI) values expected in central and southern regions of the state. Additionally, local pollution sources, such as mobile sources, power plants, and other industrial sources, and the transport of ozone precursors from upwind states by winds at the surface and aloft will contribute to elevated ozone concentrations monitored in New Jersey during this timeframe.
Air quality levels are expected to improve Wednesday early evening as low pressure from the Great Plains makes its way into the area. The key factor for inhibiting ozone formation will be the timing of the cold front associated with the incoming low-pressure system.
