Ozone Alert Center

When an Ozone Alert is issued via the SkyCast, an unhealthy concentration of ozone pollution is predicted for the following day.

The SkyCast is the ozone forecast for the Greater Kansas City region. Like a weather forecast, it tells you what air quality conditions are most likely to be for the next day. The SkyCast is issued each afternoon by 4 p.m. between March 1 and Oct. 31, when we are most likely to experience an Ozone Alert.

Your Daily SkyCast

See today’s SkyCast by hovering your mouse over the word “SkyCast” on the menu at the top right. Be sure to refresh the page for the most recent SkyCast.

Quinton's Clean Air-Venture: Your Everyday SkyCast

You can also find the SkyCast or Ozone Alerts:

  • On Twitter
  • Via email
  • TV news
  • In the newspaper
  • Through the Workplace Partnership
  • On the web pages of many of our partners
  • By calling the Air Quality Information Line at 816-701-8287

What do the SkyCast colors mean?

The SkyCast uses colors based upon the EPA’s Air Quality Index (AQI) to let you know:

  • What impact you can expect on your family’s health.
  • Actions you can take to reduce ozone.

SkyCast Color Legend

Protect your health and reduce pollution

When an Ozone Alert is issued, cut back on or reschedule strenuous outside activities. Stay indoors in a well-ventilated or air-conditioned building. If you must be active outdoors, try to schedule activity before 10 a.m. or after 7 p.m.

Drive less. Combine errands and put off less-necessary trips for a cooler day, carpool, or use public transit. Better yet, take a leisurely walk or bike ride, preferably early in the morning or later in the evening.

Avoid fueling. Simply filling your vehicle with gasoline can lead to pollution as fumes escape and tiny drips and spills occur, and gas vapors react with heat and sunlight to form ozone. If you must fill your tank, do so after dusk. And be sure to avoid “topping off” your tank.

Postpone mowing. Lawn and garden equipment is responsible for an estimated 9 percent of the Kansas City area’s ozone-forming emissions. Postpone yard work that involves power equipment until the Ozone Alert is over.

Learn about steps you can take at home or at work to reduce your impact and improve our air.

You can also subscribe to receive SkyCast air quality forecasts for Greater Kansas City via EnviroFlash.