‘Smoke Lake City’ to return, overshadowing lowest season temperatures yet
Sep 12, 2024, 9:23 AM | Updated: 9:25 am
Downtown Salt Lake City is barely visible from Ensign Peak in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. Smoke from three major wildfires in Southern California blew into Utah Wednesday, causing air quality to plummet as the sky filled with haze. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
(Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — A large show of smoke in Utah’s skies Wednesday meant headaches and breathing problems were top of mind. Unfortunately, the state’s forecast doomed the skies to another smoke show through Friday, at least.
Thursday morning would provide a few hours of slight relief, but according to KSL Meteorologist Matt Johnson, more fires burning in the northwest would mean the smoke would return by afternoon.
“As the sun comes up, it’ll be hazy. Not as thick as yesterday, but by afternoon, that smoke thickens right back up,” he said. “Please avoid exercising outdoors because this kind of smoke is really bad for you.”
Johnson said the air quality would improve ahead of the weekend, but the smoke would still be lingering.
Two men and a dog walk in the Avenues above downtown Salt Lake City on Wednesday, Sept. 11, 2024. Smoke from three major wildfires in Southern California blew into Utah Wednesday, causing air quality to plummet as the sky filled with haze. (Laura Seitz, Deseret News)
In a shocking pull of data for Wednesday’s air quality report, Johnson said the smoke was equivalent to smoking five cigarettes. The final measure landed at 108 micrograms of smoke particulate per cubic meter.
“Did a little quick math … You divide that out, that’s what you breathed in yesterday — five cigarettes, whether you liked it or not,” Johnson said.
SMOKING CIGARETTES: Wednesday’s smoke was so thick it was about the equivalent of smoking 5 cigarettes! #utwx pic.twitter.com/0uz8aVTGXJ
— Matthew Johnson (@KSL_Matt) September 12, 2024
Perhaps the best news in Utah’s forecast as of Thursday morning was the expected drop in temperatures, after the summer continued to cook the state into September. For the first time in the season, temperatures in the 70s and 80s were expected in the Wasatch Front. Some other northern areas, like Logan, West Valley and Tremonton could even show highs in 60s, Johnson said.
Possible showers at the most northern area of the state could potentially help clear some of the smoke, Johnson said, but it wouldn’t “get the job completely done.”
Johnson said the next best chance for more rain in the Salt Lake Valley and Southern Utah would likely be Monday.
