December miracle: good air quality in Phetchabun

[canopy]

Like elsewhere in the north, the air quality all across Phetchabun normally gets progressively worse starting in October as the rains end and air quality sinks for the next 6 months. By December the worsening air quality is usually quite noticeable with greyish brown horizons, limited views, and unhealthy PM2.5 levels. I've been in Phetchabun quite a number of years and follow the air quality closely and something is different this year. The air quality is excellent confirmed by both public monitors and my own, visibility is almost unlimited, and all of this without a drop of rain in over a month. It's dry, conditions are ideal for burning, but it isn't smoggy with limited visibility as usual. In my area there are 500 baht fines for lighting fires and it is being enforced strictly. This is new. Not sure about other areas or if this is part of why this year is different. Very surprised to see what is happening with the good air and hope for more of it to come, puzzling as it is for now.

 

[CharlieH]

Well i wish that was my experience, but up until today you couldnt see the surrou ding mountains for the thick grey haze ! and yesterday the smell of burning fields all around was choking !

 

Experiences vary on location I guess.

[GreasyFingers]

Very rarely a problem up here. Occasionally the mountain cannot be seen through the smoke, usually blown in from outside the area, but not for long or very often.

[canopy]

According to international standards the air quality of Phetchabun is unhealthy for a large portion of the year to the detriment of ALL people living there. This is a fact, far from being "very rarely a problem". This includes the lowlands, the mountains, the whole province. Note aqicn has added a new Phetchabun air quality monitoring station this year which is nice. And Phetchabun people absolutely do burn all sorts of things including but not limited to fields and forests all over the province so don't blame outside air so easily as the scape goat. In fact I have to wonder if it may be  unusual winds allowing for the unusually good air we are seeing at this time. Normally in December views are severely limited by smog, but it must be over 100km visibility right now. Absolutely stunning for December. 

 

[GreasyFingers]

4 minutes ago, canopy said:

This includes the lowlands, the mountains, the whole province.

So they have that many monitoring stations over the whole province. Cannot even get daily rainfall figures for up here.

[canopy]

Khao Kho also has unusually good air as of now. And if one has an inkling to go to Phu Thap Buek, the highest point in Phetchabun, now would be the time.

 

One thing you learn living in Phetchabun is how isolated rainfall can be. There can be a major storm with lightning, thunder, and driving rain that goes long and hard and a few kilometers away not a drop, even sunshine all day. There is so much variance as different places in Phetchabun also have very different microclimates. I have a rain gauge and an air quality monitor.

 

[canopy]

Update. Now exactly one month later in January the air quality has plummeted to unhealthy levels where it can be expected to stay for months to come, barring any out of season rains. Phetchabun is circled in pink in the below air quality map for today.