Washington's health department keys its air-quality guidance to how long children are outside — 15 minutes to an hour, one to four hours, or longer — because duration changes what the same reading demands. This page carries the current guide's table as printed, alongside the reading for your field.
The table is headed "Outside Air Quality Index (AQI): PM2.5", so its thresholds follow the PM2.5 sub-index. The overall AQI can be driven by ozone instead, and on a smoky day the two can differ — so the forecast page shows you both numbers.
| AQI | 15 min – 1 hour (recess, P.E., outdoor class) | 1–4 hours (typical practice or game) | Over 4 hours (outdoor school, day camp) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good (0-50 AQI) | No restrictions. | No restrictions. | No restrictions. |
| Moderate (51-100 AQI) | Let students with health conditions opt out or stay indoors; limit their intensity if needed. | Let students with health conditions opt out or stay indoors; limit their intensity if needed. | Move students with health conditions somewhere with safer air — indoors or another location. Let everyone else opt out or stay indoors, and limit intensity. |
| Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150 AQI) | Limit outdoor activity to moderate intensity. Students with health conditions: limit further, or move them to safer air if needed. | Limit to light intensity, or to one hour total at moderate intensity. If intensity and time cannot be modified, consider canceling — or move to safer air, indoors or another location. | Limit to light intensity and under four hours total. If intensity and time cannot be modified, cancel — or move to safer air. |
| Unhealthy, Very Unhealthy, or Hazardous (≥151 AQI) | Cancel outdoor activity, or move it indoors with filtered air or to a different location. Keep indoor activity light if indoor PM2.5 is elevated. | Cancel outdoor activity, or move it indoors with filtered air or to a different location. Keep indoor activity light if indoor PM2.5 is elevated. | Cancel outdoor activity, or move it indoors with filtered air or to a different location. Keep indoor activity light if indoor PM2.5 is elevated. |
The 1–4 hour column is the one most coaches and band directors need — it is where the guide itself files athletic events and practices, and its actions tighten a step sooner than the shortest column at the same reading.
In this guide, everyone on your roster: "All children and youth (18 and under) are considered a sensitive group." Rows that mention health conditions add further limits on top of that baseline.
The guide's own pointer for readings is the same feed this site's air gate uses: "Check current and forecasted air quality at AirNow.gov"
Limit to light intensity activities or to a 1-hour total duration with moderate intensity activities. If intensity level and time cannot be modified, consider canceling outdoor activity or move to an area with safer air quality, either indoors or to a different location. For children & youth with health conditions, further limit time or intensity if needed.
Every threshold and action on this page was read off the primary document. Washington Children and Youth Activities Guide for Air Quality (DOH 334-332, May 2026)
Cross-checked against the primary document on 2026-08-09
wbgtcheck.com is an independent tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the UIL, GHSA, NFHS, NATA, or any state athletic association.
Readings come from the EPA AirNow program, which republishes hourly observations from state, local and tribal air agencies. Credit belongs to those agencies first. Category colors follow the RGB values EPA specifies for the AQI, unaltered.