Arizona

How air pollution plays a role during Arizona’s deadliest months of the year

Published

1 year ago

December 23, 2024

How air pollution plays a role during Arizona’s deadliest months of the year

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Maricopa County has declared Monday through Wednesday as ‘no burn days.’ County leaders say there are elevated levels of smoke in the air.

The poor air quality was visible in the Valley Monday as the Arizona’s Family news drone captured video of the layers of pollution. It could be seen from Camelback Mountain through downtown Phoenix.

It’s common to see the dirty air this time of year. There are more people visiting Arizona through the holidays, which means more cars and more air pollution.

There are also more people burning inside to heat their homes, which sends smoke into the air. People will also light off fireworks around the holidays, which can add to the already poor air quality.

While the weather is beautiful around the Valley this time of year, it can be the deadliest time in Arizona. According to numbers from the Arizona Department of Health Services, January is the deadliest month of the year.

In 2022, more than 8,300 people died in Arizona, nearly 2,000 more than any other month. December was second-highest, with more than 6,700 people who died.

Air pollution could be a contributing factor to the increased deaths in our state.

Dr. Ashley Lowe with the College of Nursing at the University of Arizona works with many Arizona schools. She says these months are when more kids are going to the nurse with breathing problems and says air pollution is a big reason why.

“We do tend to have an uptick in the number of visits to the health office because kids are having breathing problems,” Lowe said. “All of these things come together to create a perfect storm.”

Dr. Lowe says kids with asthma can especially be impacted from the dirty air. She says she doesn’t want kids to stay away from their practices and other events, but it’s best to limit exposure outdoors on some of the worst air quality days.

If you are struggling to breathe, shutting the windows and doors around your home can help by keeping the polluted air outside of your home.

An indoor air filter can also clean out the bad particles from the air inside your home.

The weather also plays a role in why the bad air can stick around for days or even weeks this time of year. While it’s beautiful outside, the weather is normally calm which means there is no wind or rain to push the dirty air away.

“We live already in a valley kind of in a bowl and everything kind of settles. You get warm afternoons and cold mornings so that inversion sets in and it kind of traps everything,” Arizona’s Family First Alert Meteorologist April Warnecke said. “It would help to get wind or rain but those are the two things we don’t have in the forecast.”

Air quality trackers can show where the worst of the polluted air is.

According to AirNow, Christmas and New Year’s can have the worst air quality of the year. There were readings of “very unhealthy” air quality during the holidays in 2023.

The CDC says chronic respiratory disease is the fifth leading cause of death in Arizona each year.

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Arizona

Where to watch New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 10

Published

12 hours ago

May 10, 2026

Press Room

Where to watch New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks: TV channel, start time, streaming for May 10

Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.

We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Sunday as the New York Mets visit the Arizona Diamondbacks.

See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.

What time is New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks?

First pitch between the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, May 10.

How to watch New York Mets vs Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday

All times Eastern and accurate as of Sunday, May 10, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.

Matchup: NYM at ARI
Date: Sunday, May 10
Time: 4:10 p.m. (ET)
Venue: Chase Field
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
TV: DBACKS.TV and SportsNet New York
Streaming: MLB.TV on Fubo

Watch MLB all season long with Fubo

MLB regional blackout restrictions apply

MLB scores, results

MLB scores for May 10 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:

See scores, results for all of today’s games.

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Arizona

Drowning happens in seconds, Arizona safety experts warn as triple-digit temperatures arrive this week

Published

1 day ago

May 9, 2026

Press Room

Drowning happens in seconds, Arizona safety experts warn as triple-digit temperatures arrive this week

GILBERT, AZ — As temperatures climb across Arizona, safety experts and parents say so does the risk around water.

“You brought them here for a reason, and you want them to keep safe at all times, and it’s the most precious things you have. Why, why would you not pay attention to them?” Ernesto Agüero said.

Agüero’s warning comes as families across the Valley head to pools and splash pads to beat the heat.

Experts say drowning can happen silently and within seconds.

“Drowning is silent. A lot of times it goes unnoticed, but it just takes seconds,” Jay Arthur, president of the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona, said.

The Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona says while child drowning deaths are down compared to recent years, the danger is far from over as summer begins. It comes as the Drowning Prevention Coalition of Arizona (DPCA) hosted its annual “Tapping Into Water Safety” event. The event brought together organizations like the Salt River Project (SRP) and the Phoenix Fire Department.

“You have to watch the kids with your eyes. Eye-to-eye contact is critical. You can’t be on your phone. You can’t be talking to your friend,” Arthur said.

Advocates say one of the biggest misconceptions is thinking you’ll hear someone struggling in the water. Instead, they say prevention starts before a child even gets near the pool.

“Always appoint a water watcher when you have a group of people around water, and that would be an adult that’s responsible for watching the water and they’re not on their phone,” Tanya Hughes, SRP Community Activation Strategist, said.

Families say the reminders are especially important heading into another Arizona summer.

“You want them to be safe. You want them to know how to behave when they’re in the water,” Agüero said.

Experts say designated water watchers, pool barriers and swim lessons can make the difference. They also warn that distractions like phones or conversations can quickly become dangerous.

“Seconds matter; it is really important because a child can drown in just a matter of seconds,” Arthur said.

With more families potentially spending time in the water this weekend, advocates say now is the time to prepare.

“We’re telling you, we’re trying to stop this from happening,” Arthur said.

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