Wintertime spare the air alerts will begin this month and will last through February. The Monterey Bay Unified Air Pollution Control District will be announcing alerts for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties. A notification will be sent out by 3 p.m. each day when conditions warrant a spare the air alert. This voluntary program is being implemented by the air district to address unhealthy air quality conditions that routinely occur in the San Lorenzo Valley. During an alert, the air district will ask residents to choose an alternative home heating source like electricity, propane, or natural gas. This will help reduce the amount of pollution caused by wood smoke.
