Real-Time Air Quality Information
Ulster County expanded the Hudson Valley Community Air Network (HVCAN) to provide real-time air quality information in towns all over the County. Now you can get notifications about local air quality at 19 sensors across Ulster County. Sign up for free notifications now!
Sign up for free notifications!
You can get free air quality notifications from any of these sensors across Ulster County:
Visit justair.app to get started – no need to download an app.
Create an account by entering your phone number.
Search for Ulster County and favorite the sensors you want notifications from.
Now you'll get text message alerts when air quality gets bad, so you can make an informed decision when going for a run, walking to work, or making smores at the campfire.
About the Hudson Valley Community Air Network
The Hudson Valley Community Air Network provides air quality data in towns and counties across the Hudson Valley. HVCAN's goal is to provide communities with access and ownership to information about the air we breathe. The Bard Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH) launched the network in 2025 through the support of municipal, private, and community sponsors across the region. The Ulster County expansion is led by the Department of the Environment in partnership with the Bard College CESH and JustAir Solutions, LLC. We also work with local libraries and municipal buildings, who host the 17 County-sponsored air monitors in Ulster towns. Find a full list of our partners below!
Need more info? Check out our introduction video to the network, with a step-by-step walkthrough to sign up.
What is air pollution?
Air pollution directly impacts lung and heart health. Small particles can be suspended in the air, making their way into our lungs and into our blood.
The World Health Organization tracks six major air pollutants: particle pollution, ground-level ozone, carbon monoxide, sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and lead. In Ulster County, our sensor network detects particle pollution. Specifically, we track PM 2.5, which is particulate matter smaller than 2.5 nanometers – that’s 36 times smaller than a grain of sand. Although it's only one of six pollutants, PM 2.5 is often used as a stand in for the others. It has big consequences for human health.
Exposure to particle pollution can cause increased the likelihood of infant mortality, hospital admissions for heart attacks and strokes, and increased severity of asthma attacks. The American Lung Association notes that PM2.5 affects everyone, not just vulnerable groups. Even short-term exposure can cause premature deaths – sometimes years earlier than would be expected.
Long-term exposure is associated with impaired development, development of asthma, developing diabetes, lung cancer, and dementia.
Our region typically enjoys good air quality. But residents can still experience short- and long-term exposures to poor air quality from wood smoke, wildfire smoke, or car exhaust.
Who is at risk?
The American Lung Association notes that children, older adults, and people with underlying health conditions like asthma, cardiovascular disease, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) are at high risk of health impacts due to low air quality. According to the 2025-2030 Ulster County Community Health Assessment released by the Ulster County Department of Health, asthma and COPD ranked as the 4th as the condition most impacting families in the Community Health Survey with the rate of asthma-related hospitalizations in Ulster County among children aged five and under far exceeding the Healthy People 2030 goal by 30%.
Across the country, most counties lack official air quality monitors – especially in rural communities. That’s why Ulster County is expanding the HVCAN to get information in the hands of the people who need it most.
Partners:
Bard College Center for Environmental Sciences and Humanities (CESH)
Hudson Valley Community Air Network (HVCAN)
Host sites for the 17 County-sponsored air quality sensors. The following sites host a PurpleAir air quality sensor as part of the County’s sponsored expansion to HVCAN:
The City of Kingston is also a sponsor of the Hudson Valley Community Air Network, and hosts two sensors in Midtown Kingston through the Kingston Air Quality Initiative.
Other Resources
American Lung Association (2025) State of the Air Report, at https://www.lung.org/research/sota