73.7 Degrees Cold Mid-Wednesday Afternoon In Fort Worth

73.7, mid-afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas. Have we seen the end of 100 degree days for the year? I sort of hope so.

When I left here, a half hour before noon, heading north on 820, traffic was at a crawl, due to, I think, a lot of rain coming down. Traffic sped up once I got past the point where 121 joins 820. Traffic sped up and the rain let up.

The National Weather Service or the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, I don't remember which, issued a Level Orange Air Pollution Alert an hour or two ago.

It's windy, it's been raining, it's not HOT. So, why an Air Pollution Alert now? On Sunday there was no alert that I was aware of, with Sunday being a very nasty day, air quality-wise.

I don't understand why Texas has a Commission on Environmental Quality. There are a lot of Texans who are concerned about the Environmental Quality of Texas, but that particular Texas Commission does not seem to. It's very Orwellian.

TCEQ Issues Level Orange Air Pollution Alert While Fort Worth's Fosdic Lake Turns Green

It is 99 right now, coming up on 3 in the afternoon. We should be crossing over the 100 mark at any moment, thus continuing the days in a row over 100 streak, at what is it now? 17? 18?

A cold front was predicted to keep us under 100 today. I see no hint of the predicted incoming rain and thunderstorms, or chill.

I did see the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a Level Orange Air Pollution Alert a few minutes ago for the Dallas/Fort Worth area. A Level Orange Alert means it is dangerous for the elderly, like me, to be outside.

Prior to the Level Orange Alert I went outside, around noon, to Oakland Lake Park to walk around Fosdic Lake.

As you can see in the pictures, the day after day after day over 100 has caused Fosdic Lake to need to issue a Level Green Water Pollution Alert.

Fosdic Lake is currently being the color of anti-freeze.

The birds did not appear to be too happy regarding the condition of their lake. I saw a group of ducks waddling on the eastern shore, like they were having a duck protest.

This morning I virtually went out to West Texas again, this time to Monahans and Monahans Sandhills State Park. On the Monahans Sandhills you can go sand surfing and sand tobogganing. I did neither. It was too HOT.

The Stars Are Not Twinkling & The Moon Looks Orange This 3rd Day Of August In HOT Texas

I slept in this morning, til slightly past 5, unlike yesterday when I got up slightly before 3.

When I stepped outside and looked skyward I saw no stars twinkling at me. I know there are no clouds, I don't know why there was no twinkling.

You are looking at the star-free early morning view out on my patio, from just a few minutes ago.

I suspect the lack of stars twinkling may be related to something the National Weather Service was being alarmist about yesterday, that being air pollution and a Level Orange Air Pollution Alert.

Though the stars do not seem to be twinkling this morning, a piece of the moon was, twinkling with a slight shade of orange. Is this where calling the bad air pollution "Level Orange" comes from? There does seem to be an orangish tint to the horizon when the air pollution here goes into alert mode.

The sun has yet to show up and it's already 80. It is going to be another HOT one today in the Fort named Worth.

Watching Level Orange Air Pollution In Fort Worth

You are looking at the stunning skyline of beautiful downtown Fort Worth through today's filter of a Level Orange Air Pollution Watch.

I really don't know what we are supposed to watch for when the National Weather Service issues an Air Pollution Watch.

The past couple days the annoying WeatherBug program, that I really need to get rid of, has gone into its annoying chirp warning mode. I have my WeatherBug settings set to alert me to only the most dire of weather emergencies. Makes no difference. The chirp warning mode goes off over anything.

Like a Level Orange Air Pollution Watch.

I did not notice my eyes burning when I was out in the Level Orange. I didn't seem to have any trouble breathing the dirty air. I remember when I was a kid, the first time in Los Angeles, we were all thrilled to see the famous smog we'd heard so much about. And traffic jams. Neither of which existed, at that point in time, in Washington.

I remember going to Universal Studios and the air was so bad my eyes stung as if lemon juice was being squirted at me. Southern California has cleaned up its air, a lot, since then. I remember it was not until the late 1980s that I first saw the mountain range to the east, in Los Angeles, looking like the Cascades look, when you are in the Puget Sound zone.

I wonder if the Level Orange Air Pollution is what causes my bouts of feeling dizzy? I did have a little of that today when I overheated out in the 90 degree swelter.