Air Quality in Salt Lake City (St. George, Park City: lease, school, living in)

[cinnabon]

Originally Posted by Djmodel84

this inversions do they happen in March?

I have a one week trip planned to SLC the first week of march, and my mom is coming with me. Most of the time I will be up in the mountains ridding but I will go to sleep in SLC.

I am afraid she might get sick out of the air quality, maybe I can just purchase an air purifier and return it when I leave?

Jeez, it's not THAT bad that someone is going to get sick from being here a week! Thousands of people live here year round with no ill effects.

[bob rulz]

March and April are usually the best months for air quality because we usually get a storm at least every week to stir the air up and temperatures are mild.

[Djmodel84]

Cool, thanks.

[cest.la.vie]

It's bad. Really, really bad, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. We're finally moving out of here in a month and a half, and I still want to cry because I feel so trapped by the crappy air. My husband and I just got home from a walk, gasping and sick to our stomachs from all the noxious chemicals in the air (and FTR, we're both fairly young, in good shape and health, and even of the "crazy organic vegetarian" set. There is NO reason we should be feeling this way). An easy test of the quality is the lights--the halos are incredibly large and diffuse, sometimes 15-20 feet wide around the bulbs. It's disgusting. I can't wait till we're gone.

[hilgi]

I have only been here a month and I don't get what everyone complains about. I love walking outside, the air quality is great to me.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

Originally Posted by hilgi

I have only been here a month and I don't get what everyone complains about. I love walking outside, the air quality is great to me.

Sorry to have to tell you, but you missed the worst of the summer ozone alerts and the winter inversions haven't started yet. Wait until you can literally see the air from a higher vantage pooint.

[hilgi]

Originally Posted by SouthernBelleInUtah

Sorry to have to tell you, but you missed the worst of the summer ozone alerts and the winter inversions haven't started yet. Wait until you can literally see the air from a higher vantage pooint.

I know you have problems but where I grew up one year we had 120 stage 1 smog alerts and several 2's and 3's.

I have heard about the inversions and I have read alot about them, that is one of the reasons I picked a higher elevation part of the city (4800'), I heard the inversion is usually below here.

[dcisive]

No worries Hilgi. You'll get to see what everyone is talking about soon enough. The January and February time frames here can be brutal for air quality. It's like a thick black sludge in the air. I went to my doctor for a standard check up at that time last year and he said he was being inundated with people with breathing issues, many who had never had them before. Just wait....you'll see it soon enough......

[cinnabon]

Originally Posted by cest.la.vie

It's bad. Really, really bad, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. We're finally moving out of here in a month and a half, and I still want to cry because I feel so trapped by the crappy air. My husband and I just got home from a walk, gasping and sick to our stomachs from all the noxious chemicals in the air (and FTR, we're both fairly young, in good shape and health, and even of the "crazy organic vegetarian" set. There is NO reason we should be feeling this way). An easy test of the quality is the lights--the halos are incredibly large and diffuse, sometimes 15-20 feet wide around the bulbs. It's disgusting. I can't wait till we're gone.

Where do you live where it's like that? I have never expereinced anything like that - I think the air here is fine for the most part. The winter inversion was terrible but for only a few weeks out of the entire year? Not THAT big of a deal IMO. You just don't do outdoor activities when that is going on unless you go up in the mountains above it.

Originally Posted by hilgi

I have only been here a month and I don't get what everyone complains about. I love walking outside, the air quality is great to me.

Don't worry, it's really not that big of a deal. I have ben here over a year and still don't get what all the fuss is about. That said I wouldn't want to live in North Salt Lake near all those refineries or whatever they are. But I live on the East Bench, and with the exception of a few weeks in Jan. when it was really bad, the rest of the year I don't even think about it.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

That's b/c you don't have asthma, I assume. Asthmatics wheeze for more than just the worst inversions.