Video: Smog descends on Northwest

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SEATTLE – A smog alert issued earlier this week in Snohomish, King, Pierce and Kitsap counties has people suffering from health problems taking precautions.

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency called its first smog watch of the year this week because of a hot weather inversion.

They agency says air quality should return to the "good" range as the inversion begins to break up Wednesday evening.

Aileen Gagney knew it was going to be a bad day when she took her first breath Wednesday morning.

"I have asthma and lots of other people who have asthma have been really effected by the smog and the particulate pollution," she said. "It's making it more difficult for me to breathe and I wheeze a lot more."

Gagney is the asthma program manager for the American Lung Association of Washington. She says the warm air provides a perfect breeding ground for lung irritants like tailpipe exhaust and smoke.

She says it's not just the people with lung problems who are at risk.

"Anybody, you know even if you have healthy lungs you really shouldn't be doing excessive, a lot of exercise," she said.

A spokesperson for the National Weather Service said heat and low winds increase the chances for smog.

"When you have light winds like next couple days, air doesn't move, it sticks in one place," said Art Gaebel. "Since we don't have that mixing of air, that's the reason we have elevated levels of smog."

Temperatures climbed into the high 80s Tuesday and Wednesday in Puget Sound, but KING 5 meteorologist Jeff Renner said the region would begin to cool Thursday, when there is a chance of showers.

The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency says people with asthma or heart disease should limit outdoor activities in the hot, hazy weather.

Residents are asked to do the following to help alleviate the air problem.

- Drive your most fuel-efficient car and combine errands into one trip.

- Skip gasoline-powered yard work and gas-fueled recreation.

- Carpool or ride the bus to work, events and outings. 

- Gas up your car in the cooler evening hours.