PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Air quality conditions across the Phoenix area showed significant improvement this New Year\u2019s Day compared to last year, when the Valley experienced some of the worst air quality in the world.<\/p>\n
Maricopa County air quality monitoring sites<\/a> showed most locations in the good or moderate category on Wednesday morning, with just one location in south Phoenix registering in the \u201cunhealthy for sensitive groups\u201d category.<\/p>\n Hikers embrace overcast conditions<\/p>\n The overcast morning did not deter people from hitting hiking trails, as many began pursuing New Year\u2019s fitness goals. The Piestewa Peak parking lot was packed with hikers around 8 a.m.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve lost 85 pounds so every year I want to start on a fresh foot, moving forward, enjoying the beauty we have in Arizona, there is no other state like it,\u201d one hiker said.<\/p>\n Another hiker said the cloudy conditions made for ideal hiking weather.<\/p>\n \u201cI love it, it\u2019s a nice break, I love the sunshine but it\u2019s good to have a change,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n