A method is disclosed for estimating the exposure of vehicle occupants to environmental conditions capable of inducing a least discomfort. The occupants are alerted to their proximity to a zone where environmentally-challenging conditions exist and, in a first embodiment, the details of the environmental condition and the estimated duration of any exposure is communicated to the occupants; in a second embodiment a suggested course of action by which the occupants may mitigate the effect of the environmental occurrence is communicated; and in a third embodiment the proposed course of action is automatically executed subject to override by the occupants.