BY B.G. GREGG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Hamilton County's smog alert was lifted Sunday night as wind, rain and cooler temperatures helped disperse pollutants.
Jennifer Bailey, a spokeswoman for the Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services, said the ozone level reached 72 parts per billion Sunday, down from 105 ppb Friday. Anything over 124 ppb exceeds limits allowed by the federal government.
Hamilton County had been under a smog alert since Saturday, when ozone levels began to rise. Ozone is the product of the sun's baking car emissions and other pollutants.
The Regional Ozone Coalition has asked local residents to avoid refueling vehicles and cutting lawns with gas-powered motors until after 6 p.m., when the sun is not as intense.
"If there is wind, it helps; if there is cloud cover, it helps; if the temperatures are in the mid- to low 80s, instead of the 90s, it really helps," Ms. Bailey said.
"The outlook looks good for the next three or four days with cooler temperatures and lower humidity."
A cold front moving southeast across Ohio brought thunderstorms Sunday evening.
"There could be one inch (of precipitation) or possibly more than that in some places, but it is hard to predict," said Bill Hope, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Wilmington. The cold front was expected to bring temperatures in the mid- to high 70s.
