Airnow.gov App for Android/iOS [How to USE it]

How do you know how polluted the air is on an everyday basis? To answer it, most of us rely on privately run programs that may or may not give us accurate data and details. To be able to assess the right air quality and to know more about fires in your area or any other area, you can refer to the Airnow.gov app. From this discussion, learn more about the Airnow.gov app.

What is airnow.gov app?

With Airnow, the new app on-site, you can get all your air quality-related data easily. The site is recently redesigned for the users and also provides you with an app available on Google.

Why is Airnow special than other available apps and website air quality meters?

The reason for Airnow to be a prominent one is that it uses the US official Air Quality Index (AQI). It is a color-coded index metric and partners with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Park Service, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), NASA, tribal states, and local air quality organizations.

Airnow gets the data directly from the national centers monitoring air quality in a particular country and they place it up for display on their site.

It can forecast air quality, provide you with the current data, inform you about fire conditions, and also informs you about Canada and Mexico air quality details.

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How to Use airnow.gov app?

For the first timers who land on the landing page of the Airnow.gov app or site, here are a few steps to navigate through it.

1. Once you land on the home page, you will next be able to add your zip code in the given box. You can thereby know the air quality or fire metrics in that particular area.
2. Use the three dots/lines for the menu button and click on the AirNow logo to return to your main or home page.
3. To find the local air quality, click on the Dial tab. From here you can check the following;

• The NowCast AQI color can be found here alongwith the frequency and category related information.

• You can also check the time when the page was last updated.
• Read more about the primary pollutant that is prevalent in your area. It is the one with the highest AQI.
• Nearby the dial, you can open and close the AQI legend.
• Also getting quick access to the available details for the current day and the day after is available. If you hover over particular metrics, you can get more information about the particular pollutants.
• Monitor Near Me will provide you with the details through an interactive map while zooming into your area.
• The recent Trends tab will tell you a trend for each hour until midnight. You can switch to a month or week view.
• Data Courtesy of and checking the weather will also assist you to visit the source data in your area.
• Click on the AQI data to click on the AQI circle which will appear in the black bar. Scroll to understand whatever details you need to know more.

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How to install the app on Android & iOS Devices?

To install the app on Android, you need to head straight to Google Playstore. Once there, you will need to search for the app. After you find it by its name, you must click on the Install button to download and install the app.

To install the app on iOS devices, you can try by hitting the Apple appstore tab. Search for the app, check with the Install button and then click on the Open tab to initiate the app.

How does Airnow.gov works?

Each and every hour data flows from 1300 ozone and 300 PM2.5 across 44 states alongside the District of Columbia and Canada.

• After this stage, almost 100 state, local, and other federal agencies acting as funnels collect the data.
• They then submit the data to DMC using the file transfer protocol.
• After this step, the ozone and PM data gets loaded in the Oracle Relational database.
• Through automatic quality control, the quality of the data is checked.
• With the help of QC checks, minimum and maximum thresholds are determined alongside the change rate, and other inconsistencies are assessed and analyzed.
• Different thresholds and QC check parameters are set.
• Next, air quality is converted to AQI.
• Half an hour after the passage of every hour, local, regional, and national maps are generated for ozone and PM2.5.
• These maps are next available at every site which uses them including the Airnow site.

Is airnow.gov accurate?

AirNow.gov app is very accurate and there is no doubt about how accurate it is due to the process in place to generate the data.

Conclusion

For people who need to know the daily air quality, this app could relieve your stress largely. Read the details to understand better about the Airnow.gov app.