(WHTM) — A weather phenomenon trapped air and pollution above parts of central Pennsylvania on Tuesday, prompting the state’s Department of Environmental Protection to issue a Code Orange alert for several counties.
The department directly cited a morning temperature inversion that increased fine particle pollution in the region in its alert. It’s something residents could feel, especially young children, the elderly and those with respiratory problems. But it was also visible.
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In Mifflin County, which was not under the alert but experienced similar conditions, an abc27 News reporter captured a temperature inversion on camera. The dense smog near the ground is a direct result of the phenomenon.
A temperature inversion occurs Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, in Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. | Kaylee Lindenmuth
Inversions are air masses where cooler air is near the earth’s surface, and warmer air is above. Normally, air temperature decreases as altitude increases, allowing air to rise upward. Air under an inversion cannot escape.
That’s why officials recommend people at risk stay indoors and limit activity during such events. They also ask residents and businesses to reduce fireplace and wood stove use, avoid burning materials and pause the use of any gas-powered lawn and garden equipment.
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