Air Quality in Missoula? (Bozeman, Lolo: homes, living in, natural gas)

[gc57]

Is the air quality in Missoula that bad. I have heard about the inversion layer there and wondered if it's that bad?

[rickers]

Only at times, most of the time the air is better than most big cities elsewhere. It can be bad when the fires start up in the summer.

[gc57]

Thanks for the info. Is it any better in Lolo?

[rickers]

Lolo and Missoula are very close and really share the same valley air. Depends on where the wind and/or smoke is coming from.

[Greybear]

I live up on the south hills and it was noticably better there (higher elevation)

[jimj]

Try doing a search on MT air quality, there's been many a post on that subject.
You'll see that both the Flathead and Mission valleys don't get that good a grade for particulate and other pollution.

[Mee&Kee]

I lived in Msla for 2 yrs. One of the reasons I moved was the air quality. Fires or not it was often bad. MANY people there have this weird little cough and the docs are in total denial. I was given an inhaler but it didn't help. I loved Missoula but w/ sprawl, air quality/inversion I would steer away.

[Radek]

Im rarely in Missoula, but I never noticed any problems.

Forest fires in the summer are another problem and beyond living in a town thats nowhere near forests (wont happen in most of Montana), you can't always avoid that. Bozeman got pretty bad last August, but the air quality increased once the fires were put out.

[grizzfan]

Air quality, except during summer fires and winter temperature inversions, is very liveable. If you are a person that has respiratory problems, choose the South Hills, up Grant Creek or the upper Rattlesnake.

You should have been here 50 years ago when we had 10 or more teepee burners in the valley and everybody heated with coal!!!

The environmentalists took care of the lumber industry and most all homes have been converted to use natural gas.

[gc57]

Ok, so what I get is that living in Missoula for the most part is ok for most of the yaer with the air quality. I don't have a respiratory problem, but don't want to ride a bike and feel like I am sucking on a muffler either. What about living in the Miller Creek area or Frenchtown Valley?