Residents of metropolitan Washington can dial (202) 589-1212 for current weather and air quality information and forecasts.  According to its new sponsors, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and Clean Air Partners, the weather line has already received approximately 170,000 calls since January 2012.

“The weather line has been a valuable, free service for area residents for several generations, providing timely weather forecast information including during severe storm events,” said Stuart Freudberg, Director of Environmental Programs at COG.  “We are also pleased to expand the service to inform the public on the region’s air quality.” 

COG has been providing regional air quality forecasts since the 1970s, and the Clean Air Partners program educates people on ways to reduce air pollution and protect their health.  The line encourages callers to visit www.cleanairpartners.net to sign up for Air Quality Alerts, a free service that sends air quality information by email to subscribers.

The weather line features meteorologists from D.C. Weather Services, the same company that provided forecasts for the previous line.