Heartland 101

With the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) readily available on smartphones and websites, it’s now possible to see an instant rating on what the air quality outside means to your health. On November 26, if you were in Fort Saskatchewan or Gibbons, chances are you saw a high or very high risk to health rating of the area’s air quality on your phone.

Fortunately, air quality health ratings in the Heartland are low risk most of the time. 

But there are two conditions that typically lead to our poorest air quality days here (and much of the prairies). The most common is wildfire smoke. But the other is a natural phenomenon that tends to occur more often in cold weather. It is called a temperature inversion – which tends to materialize when the Polar Vortex expands and sends a gush of cold air southward. 

The inversion occurs when the air on the ground cools faster than the air above it. This colder air then gets trapped underneath the layer of warmer air, forming a sort of lid. The result? Our typical emissions cannot rise and disperse as quickly as they normally would. 

Additionally, in winter, the need to heat our homes and warm up our vehicles all contribute to higher levels of emissions, especially fine particulate matter (PM_2.5). At times these factors, coupled with a temperature inversion, then lead to higher AQHI ratings.

Temperature inversions in the Heartland

Even so, temperature inversions that cause high or very high risk AQHI ratings are rare. On November 26, our monitoring stations in Southfort and Gibbons recorded a total of 12 hours of higher risk air quality. And once Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership’s 2026 first quarter data is compiled, our cold weather during this period will likely show a few more. 

When looking at all of 2025, Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership (HAMP) monitoring stations in the Airshed region reported 597 hours of high or very high risk AQHI ratings. The precise number of hours caused by winter temperature inversions can be challenging to determine. However, HAMP estimates it is about 5% (while the majority of higher risk hours are due to wildfire smoke).

Can poor winter air quality be prevented?

Most of the emissions in the HAMP region stay fairly constant throughout the year and easily disperse under normal weather conditions. 

But in winter when there is more vehicle idling, home heating and fireplace use adding to pollutant levels, we can strive to reduce the impact by being conscious of our usage and choosing energy-efficient products.

Access your local AQHI 

If you are concerned about your health, do keep track of the current and forecasted AQHI for your local area. If you live in the Heartland Air Monitoring Partnership Airshed you can:

1. Check AQHI ratings for Bruderheim, Elk Island, Fort Saskatchewan, Gibbons, Lamont and Redwater, updated hourly right on our homepage.
   
2. Download the WeatherCAN app or another weather reporting app, such as the Weather Network, to check the current AQHI for your community.
3. Tune in to Alberta Health Services air quality advisories or your local media for updates. Most news outlets share special air quality statements or advisories when they are issued.