CODE ORANGE: Air quality alert in effect for parts of south-central Pennsylvania
DEPOSITIONS SCHEDULED, INCLUDING BILL AND HILLARY CLINTON. NOW, THE WGAL NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM FORECAST WITH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST CHRISTINE FERREIRA. GOOD MORNING. IT IS 546. TODAY, OUR AIR QUALITY IS COMING INTO QUESTION RIGHT NOW. IT’S MODERATE. BUT LOOK AT THE FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON. IT IS FORECAST TO BECOME POOR OR UNHEALTHY FOR SENSITIVE GROUPS IN PARTS OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. SO THAT’S WHY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED THIS AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR US TODAY. THE REASON BEING IS WE HAVE THIS DENSE, COLD AIR RIGHT AT THE SURFACE AND ABOVE IT, THERE’S WARMER AIR RIDING ABOVE OUR HEADS. SO THAT PUTS A LID ON THE ATMOSPHERE AND TRAPS POLLUTANTS NEAR THE SURFACE THAT ALLOWS THOSE POLLUTANT CONCENTRATIONS TO INCREASE. BECAUSE THE WINDS ARE LIGHT AND THEREFORE WE HAVE AIR QUALITY ISSUES. SO CHILDREN, THE ELDERLY, FOLKS WITH HEART OR RESPIRATORY CONDITIONS MIGHT WANT TO LIMIT ANY STRENUOUS ACTIVITY OUTDOORS TODAY. HERE’S OUR NEWS EIGHT STORM TEAM FORECAST. AND WE FINALLY GET ABOVE FREEZING. WE ARE LOOKING AT HIGHS AROUND 38 DEGREES UNDER MOSTLY CLOUDY SKIES. THERE COULD BE A RAIN SHOWER LATE THIS EVENING OR EARLY TONIGHT. AND BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THAT COMES THROUGH IT WILL TURN WINDY. SO OVERNIGHT OUR LOWS HOLD STEADY. IN THE 30S. TOMORROW. MOSTLY CLOUDY. WINDY. IT’S GOING TO FEEL LIKE THE UPPER 20S EVEN THOUGH WE REACH THE UPPER 30S FOR OUR HIGHS. THE WINDS WON’T BE AS STRONG AS THEY WERE OVER THE WEEKEND, AND CERTAINLY NOT GOING TO BE AS COLD ON THE ALMANAC. HERE’S A COLD DAY. YESTERDAY WAS ONLY 27 DEGREES. AVERAGE IS 41. WE’RE GOING TO BE CLOSER TO THAT AVERAGE BOTH TODAY AND TOMORROW. AVERAGE LOWS ARE IN THE 20S AND WE ARE SEEING THAT THIS MORNING THANKS TO THE CLOUDS. IT’S 21 IN HARRISBURG, 19 IN LANCASTER AND LEWISTOWN, AND WE HAVE 22 DEGREES IN CARLISLE WITH LIGHT WINDS. SO RIGHT NOW THE WIND SPEED IS NOT AN ISSUE AND IT SHOULD REMAIN LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE DAY. STORM TEAM, LIVE RADAR NETWORK I’M TRACKING A WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTH, AND IT WAS PRODUCING A FEW FLURRIES OUT TO OUR WEST. I’VE BEEN CHECKING THOSE PENNDOT CAMERAS. I CAN’T SEE TOO MUCH FLYING IN STATE COLLEGE OR AROUND MIFFLIN COUNTY RIGHT NOW, BUT I WON’T RULE OUT A FEW FLURRIES FOR YOU FOR THE MORNING DRIVE. NOTHING THAT WILL SLOW YOU DOWN. BIGGER PICTURE HERE SHOWS THE COLD FRONT IS STILL WELL UP OVER THE GREAT LAKES, AND IT’S BARELY PRODUCING ANY PRECIPITATION, SO I EXPECT THAT TO BE THE CASE AS THAT COLD FRONT ARRIVES TONIGHT. HERE’S A LOOK AT THE PREDICTOR. WE HANG TOUGH IN THE CLOUDS TODAY. MAYBE SEE SOME CLEARING. TOWARD EVENING. AND THEN AS THAT FRONT COMES IN I’D SAY ABOUT 8 P.M. TO MIDNIGHT, THERE COULD BE JUST A COUPLE OF RAIN SHOWERS, JUST ENOUGH TO WET THE GROUND IN A FEW SPOTS. THAT FRONT PRESSES SOUTH. IT TURNS WINDY BEHIND IT. WE COULD HAVE SOME GUSTS UP TO 35MPH OUT OF THE NORTHWEST TOMORROW. THEN FINALLY FOR THURSDAY, WE START THE DAY WITH A LITTLE SUN. CLOUDS COME IN IN THE AFTERNOON, AND THEN WE CLEAR OUT TOWARD EVENING. BOTH THURSDAY AND FRIDAY LOOK LIKE QUIET, BREEZY DAYS. LET’S TALK ABOUT THE WEEKEND. WE’RE WATCHING OUR NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM, WHICH MAY STAY TO OUR SOUTH. THE MODEL GUIDANCE THIS MORNING KEEPS IT TO OUR SOUTH. NOW YESTERDAY IT WAS OVER US. WE HAD A MIXED RAIN. SO THIS HAS BEEN A VERY VARIABLE FORECAST. NOT READY TO PIN IT DOWN JUST YET, BUT WE ARE WATCHING AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT WILL MOVE BY TO OUR SOUTH OVER THE WEEKEND, ON SUNDAY, AND IT COULD BRING A POSSIBLE MIX TO RAIN, OR IT COULD MISS US COMPLETELY. SO THOSE ARE THINGS WE’RE GOING TO BE WATCHING AS THAT FORECAST EVOLVES OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. RIGHT NOW, THOUGH, VALENTINE’S DAY LOOKS EXCELLENT, WITH MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND A HIGH OF 42. I’LL PUT THAT RAIN CHANCE IN THERE ON SUNDAY AND WRAPPING UP ON MONDAY, BUT WE MIGHT NOT SEE ANYTHING AT ALL, SO IT’S STILL A CASE BY CASE BASIS ON THOSE MODEL RUNS. AS WE HEAD INTO NEXT WEEK, I CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT IT IS GOING TO WARM UP. I DO SEE MILDER AIR COMING ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. THAT COLD AIR IS
CODE ORANGE: Air quality alert in effect for parts of south-central Pennsylvania
Updated: 6:03 AM EST Feb 10, 2026
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a code orange air quality alert for parts of south-central Pennsylvania. The alert is in effect for the following counties on Tuesday, Feb. 10:Cumberland CountyDauphin CountyLancaster CountyLebanon CountyYork CountyWhat ‘Code Orange’ meansAir pollution levels may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including:ChildrenOlder adultsPeople with asthmaPeople with heart disease or other lung diseasesFine particle pollution levels increaseAccording to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, fine particle pollution levels increased overnight and will continue to rise during the day today. The WGAL News 8 Storm Team explains that cold, dense air lies near the ground while warmer air sits above, creating an inversion that acts like a “lid” on the atmosphere. This traps particle pollutants like wood smoke and car exhaust near the surface. With little wind to mix the atmosphere, pollutant concentrations increase. Safety precautionsLimit strenuous outdoor activity. Reduce outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should monitor how long spent outdoors and take breaks as needed. Click here to check your local air quality.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection issued a code orange air quality alert for parts of south-central Pennsylvania.
The alert is in effect for the following counties on Tuesday, Feb. 10:
Cumberland CountyDauphin CountyLancaster CountyLebanon CountyYork County
What ‘Code Orange’ means
Air pollution levels may be unhealthy for sensitive groups, including:
ChildrenOlder adultsPeople with asthmaPeople with heart disease or other lung diseases
Fine particle pollution levels increase
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, fine particle pollution levels increased significantly overnight and will continue to rise during the day on Tuesday.
The WGAL News 8 Storm Team explains that cold, dense air lies near the ground while warmer air sits above, creating an inversion that acts like a “lid” on the atmosphere. This traps particle pollutants like wood smoke and car exhaust near the surface. With little wind to mix the atmosphere, pollutant concentrations increase.
Safety precautionsLimit strenuous outdoor activity. Reduce outdoor exercise. Sensitive groups should monitor how long spent outdoors and take breaks as needed.