SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – The end of the workweek brought something into Utah we haven’t seen in a while — wildfire smoke!
Our northeasterly flow has ushered in wildfire smoke that stems from fires burning in Canada. The smoke took over skies Friday, impacting visibility and air quality in different parts of the state. Light smoke stretched all the way to Washington County and hazy conditions will linger for the weekend. We could see periods of thinner smoke, especially in Central and Southern Utah, through the weekend, but it will not totally clear.
Wildfire smoke elevates particulate matter — and as a result, many counties hit the “moderate” air quality category Friday, with conditions worsening for some for the weekend. The Department of Environmental Quality forecasts moderate air quality for Cache, Box Elder, Tooele, Utah, Weber, Uintah, Duchesne, Grand, Carbon, Iron and Washington counties for the weekend. Due to the northeasterly flow, Salt Lake and Davis counties are facing air in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” category both Saturday and Sunday. Keep in mind, unlike our winter inversion, elevation does not allow you to escape wildfire smoke. As a result, elevated particulate matter impacts our valleys and mountain tops the same.
Stay ahead of all the smoke and any weather changes with Utah’s Most Accurate Forecast on-air and online.
