When the mercury begins to rise as well as the humidity levels persons who make their living working outside know there are certain precautions that must be taken.

Those precautions, said Darla Wilkerson with Fitzgerald Construction based in Hendersonville, come with a little common sense.

“You have to take plenty of breaks and get plenty of fluids,” she said, but added too much water can also make workers sick.

“If you feel like your getting sick, that’s time to stop working,” she said.

Fitzgerald Construction is currently doing the renovations on the White House Middle and High School and Wilkerson said there is a construction trailer on site with air conditioning. Workers are welcome to go if they need to, she said.

“Don’t be silly and try to overdo it,” she said, adding this is good advise for children who are outside at athletic camps or just enjoying the outdoors.

As the first week of summer started last week, the high temperatures and humidity levels came with it.

But also coming with the summer temperatures were air quality alerts.
Officials with the National Weather Service are used to dealing with and talking about heat and humidity during the summer. But this year they have also made air quality a part of their alert system.

In addition to hearing from local media and meteorologists that temperatures were high, the public also heard the air could be a problem for many.

Last weekend air quality alerts went out warning persons with breathing problems such as asthma that it might be a good idea not to venture outdoors for long periods.

John Cohen, a meteorologist with the Nashville National Weather Service office, said in recent months they have been working with the state Department of Environment and Conservation to alert residents about air quality.

“Whenever conditions become above moderate, as they did last week, they will alert us,” Cohen said, adding the weather service then adds the air quality alert to its weather radio system.

Additionally, local media will then pick up on the alert ensuring the public is informed of the danger.

Air conditions for today and through the remainder of this week are expected in the moderate level, meaning unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion.

Cohen said poor air quality during the summer months is typically caused by an upper level ridge of high pressure sitting over the area.

This high pressure ridge does not allow particulate matter made up of a number of components, including acids (such as nitrates and sulfates), organic chemicals, metals, soil or dust particles, and allergens (such as fragments of pollen or mold spores) to escape the atmosphere.

“It sits on top of us not letting those particles escape,” Cohen said, adding that is what happened last week.

A guide for those sensitive to breathing problems is the color of the sky, Cohen said.

During the winter months when the high pressure ridge is not so prevalent, the sky is blue. During the summer it is hazy and has a white cast. That is the particulate matter trapped in the atmosphere, the meteorologist said.

As for the rest of the summer, Cohen said long range predictions are tricky, but the Climate Prediction Center is forecasting typical summer weather for Tennessee.

“When you get beyond seven days, accuracy goes down,” Cohen said.

However, the Climate Predication Center is forecasting normal temperatures for July and August, meaning they will stay around the 90 degree mark, or maybe a little higher, Cohen said.

As for rainfall, this has already been a dry period with May being the third driest on record.

June, however showed normal rainfall and July is also predicted to be normal.

But even normal rainfall may not help yards and gardens as much as expected as the evaporation rate is higher because of the heat, Cohen said.

Another possible impact on middle Tennessee’s weather during July through September are tropical systems.

Form the look of weather patterns in the Carolinas, Florida and Virginia, it appears that tropical systems are above normal, meaning this hurricane season may be more active.

“That could always impact our weather, Cohen said.
 

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Pure Air Control Services, Inc.

1-800-422-7873