How to cut down on pollution during an inversion
Jan 16, 2026, 10:28 AM | Updated: 10:37 am
SALT LAKE CITY — That familiar and unwelcome layer of smog is back. So as air quality plummets in Utah, experts are providing solutions for cutting down on pollutants.
Don’t feel like reading? Listen as Midday with Maria Shilaos goes over how to help clean the air during an inversion 👇
Wednesday marked day six of this inversion event. It could be a while before we get some relief, because it won’t move out until a decent snowstorm or winds break it up.
KSL asked local experts how Utahns can help the air quality during an inversion.
“A lot of times when you have events like this, you feel a little discouraged from going outside,” said Mallory DiazVela with Utah Clean Air Partnership. “You feel a little powerless, like there’s nothing you can do.”
But during an inversion event, there are actions Utahns can take.
The Utah Clean Air Partnership, a nonprofit focused on improving the state’s air quality, shares steps for cutting down on the pollution we’re breathing in.
“You definitely want to get those air purifiers running,” DiazVela said. “Switch out your furnace filter if you haven’t in a while.”
Turn off the car if it’s been idling for more than few minutes.
“For example … when you’re in that Chick-Fil-A drive-thru, instead of sitting in the drive-thru line, see if you can pick up your order inside,” she said.
UCAIR also recommends carpooling, using public transportation, working from home if possible and turning down the thermostat to cut down on energy consumption.
People can struggle more with shortness of breath and irritation in the nasal passages during an inversion. That’s particularly concerning for vulnerable groups like children, the elderly, and those with respiratory conditions.
As more people move into this fast-growing state, we generate more pollution.
“The Division of Air Quality says that during an inversion event, air pollution doubles every day of the event, so unfortunately, because we don’t know exactly when the next snowstorm is going to come through here, we just kind of have to do what we can to reduce the pollution,” DiazVela said.
UCAIR said it is helpful to wear N95 masks to cut down on the pollutants you may breathe in.
Related reading: Doctors urge people to be strategic with exercise in winter inversion
