Understanding Winter Air: How Cold Weather Affects What We Breathe

Winter isn’t just about snow and chilly mornings, it also brings its own unique air quality challenges. Cold air can keep pollutants in place, affecting health and the environment in significant ways:

• Cold air traps pollution like a blanket, keeping it low and in our breathing environment.
• Rain has a cleaning effect on air and winter generally has less precipitation. 
• Common polluting activities typically increase in the winter - people warm up their cars before heading to work and bump up the heat in their homes.
• Snow and ice can trap pollutants that can be released later during melting.

Because of these activities, air quality in the winter poses health risks for everyone, but especially for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or heart conditions. Exposure to high levels of pollutants can trigger asthma attacks and worsen other respiratory issues. Even healthy individuals may experience irritation in the eyes, nose, and throat or face long-term health impacts if exposure persists. So, what can you do to stay safe?

• Find a monitor near you on JustAir.app and sign up for air quality text alerts to stay informed.
• Be mindful of warming up your car or sitting in it while its running.
• Be aware of potential hazards with indoor and outdoor wood-burning activities.
• Ensure your home has proper ventilation, change your furnace filter, and use air purifiers to improve indoor air quality. Learn more about indoor air quality here.

At JustAir, we are dedicated to empowering people with the information and tools they need to improve air quality year-round. Cleaner air is possible, even in the coldest months, if we work together to make it a priority.

Want to learn more? Here are a few great resources:

• Planet Detroit: Why Poor Air Quality isn't Just a Summer Problem
• Environmental Protection Agency: Winter Weather & Indoor Air Quality
• AccuWeather: Why Air Pollution is Worse in Winter