the all air quality, all the time channel continues

Today I learned that ACARS probably stands for Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System, and I guess airplanes get temperature data or something so we can figure out where inversion tops and mixing depths are. This is like that year I learned to speak geologist by copy editing a geology journal -- I may or may not actually know what's going on, but you'll never know better. Also, it looks like anyone can have ACARS data that is older than 48 hours old, but I haven't figured out how to read it yet.

In related news, we aren't supposed to completely die this weekend because a highly amplified ridge is approaching (but keep in mind this forecast is for Phoenix) (and check me out, feeling enough better I can edit some stuff out):

Forecast Discussion: ...This mornings Sky Harbor Airport ACARS sounding data indicates that a strong (7-8 deg C) surface-based radiation inversion formed overnight that extends to 2200+. The calculated best mixing depth is near 3K and dispersion will be POOR to MARGINAL.... A warm low-amplitude ridge aloft will be over AZ the next few days and on Saturday a massive and highly-amplified ridge will approach the state from the west. Low-level gradients will be weak over the Phoenix metro area thru this forecast period and no significant winds are expected. A mostly light wind regime, unfavorable dispersion, and strong inversion potential will contribute to high hourly PM-10 levels on Friday but with lower concentrations expected during the weekend.... -Reith

So as a physicist, I think of amplifying things with some kind of resonance chamber or, say, an amplifier, but if you can amplify pressure waves in the atmosphere, that's ok with me as long as the air quality improves.

The other things I learned are that this same weather pattern happened last year and let up on Dec. 16, and that trick I pulled on Monday when a low-amplitude (I think) trough came through, and I went for a walk wearing HEPA filters, didn't work at all today. I didn't make it across the parking lot to the trailhead, and my filters were contaminated when I needed them for going running in my house like somebody's hyper unwalked dog.