MassDEP Air Quality Alert for Massachusetts  

WHEN: Effective now through 11:00 p.m. today, June 6, 2026
WHERE: Massachusetts, Statewide
WHAT: The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has issued an air quality alert effective now through 11:00 P.M. on Saturday.

Ozone levels have increased statewide and are expected to reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups tomorrow in portions of Southeast Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and the Islands.

Sensitive groups include people with heart or lung disease, such as asthma, older adults, and children. People with either lung disease or heart disease are at greater risk from exposure to air pollution.

MassDEP advises people in sensitive groups to reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion, take more breaks, do less intense activities, follow asthma action plans, and keep quick-relief medicine handy. Watch for symptoms such as coughing or shortness of breath.

For Hopkinton-area checks, use AirNow and search by ZIP code.

Editor Note: We can attest to this. We mountain biked this morning and felt it in our lungs. We attributed it to the pollen in the air.