Friday afternoon update on air quality

Stanford continues to monitor air quality conditions as a result of wildfire smoke. Official readings in the local area have continued to be in the “unhealthy” range today.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District has extended its Winter Spare the Air Alert through Tuesday, November 20, saying that current conditions may persist until then. “While weather conditions will vary somewhat in the coming days, air quality is expected to remain unhealthy because there is so much smoke trapped at the surface and surrounding the region,” the air district reports.

Updates as we head into the weekend:

Please continue to take steps to limit your exposure, including remaining indoors and limiting outdoor activity. Consult the Environmental Health & Safety website for additional information.

Outdoor student events for the rest of today and this evening have been canceled. Indoor student events will proceed, following recommended guidelines, including the Frosh Formal and Gaieties.

For employees, if your work requires prolonged outdoor exposure, you may consult with your supervisor to obtain an N95 mask. Supervisors can contact Environmental Health & Safety at (650) 723-0448 for more information. If you are experiencing a specific health concern, please contact your healthcare provider.

The Dish and Matadero Trail in the foothills are expected to remain closed through the weekend. Check The Dish website for any updates.

Updates on athletic events continue to be provided on the Stanford Athletics website. Big Game has been rescheduled for Saturday, December 1, at UC Berkeley.

VTA, SamTrans and Muni are offering free rides on all bus and light rail service today (Friday, November 16) in response to the air quality conditions. More information is available on the Parking & Transportation Services website.

While there are no classes next week during the university’s regularly scheduled Thanksgiving Recess, other university operations are expected to remain open and operating Monday through Wednesday. Just as the university advised employees for today, please consult with your supervisor if your personal situation or health concerns mean that you need to consider alternate work arrangements. We encourage managers to provide as much flexibility as possible for employees during this challenging period, while continuing the university’s operations.

The university will continue to monitor events over the weekend and will provide any updates as necessary on the emergency.stanford.edu website.

Thank you again for your patience and understanding during this difficult time for so many people in our state.