SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (News4Utah) — Our air quality will start to deteriorate in the valley this weekend. The bad part is, it’s expected to stick around for a while.
On Friday, the air quality is in the yellow or moderate range. The inversion is expected to hover through next week. A storm isn’t forecasted until next weekend.
That’s a concern for health officials, doctors, for those who are sensitive, and pretty much all of us.
“Everyone has different sensitivity to air quality so it’s important to understand it. The young, the elderly, and those with chronic conditions, especially those with asthma, are going to be impacted more. Bad air quality can be a trigger so we are concerned about that,” said Brittany Guerra, Health Program Specialist with Utah Department of Health Asthma Program.
Health experts say:
- Keep outdoor activities to a minimum
- Exercise indoors
- Take your medication
UCAIR says pollution doubles each day during an inversion.
They recommend:
- Turning down the thermostat to 68 and change your filter if necessary.
- Not to leave your car idling
- Carpool
- Take public transit
An inversion happens when cold air is trapped in the valley. There is a layer of warmer air above so air can’t rise to circulate the air.
The Department of Environmental Quality measures tiny air particles in the air during inversions. Doctors say the pollution levels can be 3 to 4 times the healthy level. Air quality is measured every hour in your county. Find out what your air quality is here: http://air.utah.gov/
