LOGAN, Utah (ABC4 News) – On Tuesday, air quality in the Cache Vally bounced between “unhealthy for sensitive groups” to “unhealthy” as Utahns breathed in high-than-normal particulates in many parts of the state.
“You can kind of feel it right here — like this mucus crap that comes up from your lungs,” said Sam Wardle, pointing toward his chest on a Tuesday afternoon in Logan.
Some mountains were visible, others were obscured in the Cache Valley Tuesday. Locals like Wardle say they expect winter inversions but never welcome them.
Levels of PM 2.5, or fine particulate matter, increase during inversions — trapped by the same mountains that typically beautify Utah’s horizon.
“When you have some of this stuff, those microscopic particles, gets lodged in your lungs and causes health problems,” said Jared Mendenhall, a spokesperson for the Utah Dept. of Environmental Quality.
“If you have asthma or a heart condition or a lung condition, once it starts hitting that unhealthy for sensitive groups level, then that’s where you really have to watch out — how much time you’re spending outdoors,” added Mendenhall.
