By JAMES HALPIN
jhalpin@adn.com

(03/31/09 13:18:08)

Redoubt volcano continues to simmer today, spewing steam, gas and small amounts of ash. One result is volcanic haze that’s now stretching over much of Southcentral Alaska, including Anchorage.

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There are no current ash-fall or air-quality warnings, and flights in and out of Anchorage are operating normally.

A trace amount of ash fall is possible up to 30 miles from Redoubt Volcano, according to National Weather Service.

Officials say the haze is no cause for concern. It’s an assortment of steam, gases, dirt and regular surface dust getting kicked out from Redoubt, said Nate Hardin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. Stagnant air in the area has allowed it to concentrate in the atmosphere above, where it is lingering harmlessly, he said.

“A lot of that can get suspended in the air, so it’s just a conglomerate of particulates in the atmosphere,” Hardin said. “It may hang around for a little bit, but all it takes is a little something in the upper atmosphere to blow it out.”

The haze could sit on Anchorage for a few days, he said, until winds pick up.

The air quality in Anchorage was expected to remain in the low-moderate range today and no special precautions are necessary, said Steve Morris, air quality director for the municipality.

What volcanic gunk is in the sky might also appear more ominous because of dust from city streets getting kicked up as breakup begins, he said.

“Some of that may be ash, but some of it is also likely to be just regular dust,” Morris said. “We are seeing a little bit of an elevation in our particulate levels, but our air quality is actually good.”

About 100 miles away, Redoubt remains active. The webcam overlooking the volcano has shown steam and ash billowing from the mountain all day.

The gases and ash have mostly been blowing out to less than 15,000 feet above sea level but are occasionally rising to 25,000 feet, the observatory reported.

Satellite images from this morning showed a broad layer of volcanic haze extending east of the volcano over the Kenai Peninsula, the Anchorage Bowl, and the Matanuska-Susitna Valley, the Alaska Volcano Observatory said.

Copyright © Tue Mar 31 2009 16:42:55 GMT-0800 (AKDT)1900 The Anchorage Daily News (www.adn.com)