SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — When Utahns step outside, they notice that the familiar Wasatch Front mountains are missing from the skyline. They’ve been replaced by a thick cloud of smoke.
Utah's air has reached “moderate” levels, which could pose problems for people with existing heart problems or respiratory conditions, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality. However, IQAir, an air quality moderation service, reports Salt Lake City has the fifth worst air in the world and is unhealthy for sensitive groups on Wednesday afternoon.
“The smoke is having a severe impact on air quality with elevated particulate matter concentrations putting us in the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' category along the Wasatch Front. Tooele County is seeing poor air quality with local fires contributing to smoke in the upper atmosphere,” ABC4 Chief Meteorologist Alana Brophy explained. “The thick smoke is also impacting visibility and you can expect that to be an issue for the remainder of today and Thursday.”
Where does the smoke come from?
In anticipation of an approaching cold front, Utah has a strong south-westerly wind is blowing across the state. According to ABC4's 4Warn Weather Team, wind speeds are around 25 miles per hour, with gusts as high as 45 miles per hour.
This strong southwesterly flow is dragging dense smoke from wildfires in Southern California into the state.
KTLA, ABC4's sister station in Southern California, reports that the Golden State on fire due to three major forest fires.
The San Bernardino Line Fire had spread to nearly 35,000 acres Wednesday morning with only 14% containment. The Bridge Fire had burned nearly 48,000 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains of Los Angeles and San Bernardino without containment. Finally, the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon in Orange County ignited Monday afternoon. By Wednesday morning, it had burned more than 22,000 acres without containment.
Several fires in Utah also contributed to the smoke. Lightning from a storm last night caused several fires near Farmington Canyon and the Davis-Morgan County line. These fires are relatively small in comparison, having spread to less than 10 acres as of the last update Wednesday afternoon.
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Another lightning-caused fire led to evacuations and a plume of smoke near Tooele CountyThe blaze, dubbed the South Willow Fire, has spread across 100 acres of private property, according to the latest update.
Finally, more than 350 acres burned in Box Elder County just west of Promontory Point. Utah Fire Info reported that structures are being threatened by the flames and that a few homes east of Promontory have been evacuated. Details about this fire are scarce, but officials do believe it is man-made.
When will the smoke clear?
Chief Meteorologist Alana Brophy said it can be difficult to predict exactly when the smoke will clear in Utah, but expect it to linger for at least the next few days. Utahns can expect the smoke to taper off as cleaner air moves in Friday.
“You can expect the smoke to taper off with cleaner air on the horizon heading into Friday,” Brophy said. “Our storm system, or outgoing trough, will move out of the region on Friday and bring a more westerly flow, which should reduce some of the smoke and improve air quality into the weekend.”
The coming wind shift won't bring much relief to Utah, however. Brophy explained that the winds have the potential to bring more smoke from wildfires that continue to rage in the Pacific Northwest.
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