Wasatch Front forecast: Smoky skies, hot temps
Aug 2, 2024, 2:50 PM | Updated: 2:56 pm
A view of the state Capitol and the Salt Lake City skyline. Ozone pollution and smoke from the wildfires in Canada and California are behind degraded air quality in Utah on Friday, Aug. 2. (Deseret News)
(Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — Hot temperatures and smoky skies will stick around Friday and into Saturday, but storms over the weekend should help move the bad air out.
Ozone pollution and smoke from the wildfires in Canada and California are behind degraded air quality in Utah today.
IQ Air lists Salt Lake City with the 39th worst air quality in the world.
KSL Meteorologist Kevin Eubank said the Wasatch Mountains make it harder for air to move in and out, which is why when bad air enters the valley, it tends to stick around. But relief is in sight; new air is blowing from the south and knocking out the smoke.
More ozone is present in the atmosphere the hotter the day becomes, Eubank said. That’s why people are encouraged to exercise in the morning.
Smoky skies added to hot temps are a bad combination
Add wildfire smoke to that, and breathing becomes even more difficult for people in sensitive groups.
“Ozone occurs naturally but is exacerbated by high temperatures as the summer heat gets going,” he said.
See the current air quality index for Salt Lake County.
The United States today is experiencing high temperatures coast to coast.
Related: Protecting your vegetables from heat stress
