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It seems like the 2 northern most counties have the most inversion/pollution issues during this time of yr? Is the respiratory distress level bad enough that asthma is worsened for those living there?
If so, as we're currently in AZ but considering yet northern ID for relocate, that if this is indeed the case I may have to let go of any desire to move there. Ok, TY for those folks in the know up there for any info re this phenomena.
I've lived here since 2016, and this is the first time I recall seeing the "Stagnant Air Advisory" on my weather forecast feed. Frankly, I don't notice the air quality being bad right now. It's been much worse in some summers when there have been bad wildfires to the west of us.
I’ve been in the area since 2001 and the only time I know of asthmatics having trouble is in when there is a ton of smoke from wildfires or back when the grass farmers in the Rathdrum prairie routinely burned their fields every year. That was hugely controversial because of air quality and they were eventually forced to stop.
Might be good to inquire further though. I know when we have inversions you can see and smell layers of woodsmoke over towns like Priest river and Sandpoint. So many people here heat with wood still.
Intense cold usually causes the worst inversions in Idaho.
When the air is subzero and calm the air becomes so dense it the coldest air sinks to ground level, especially over a city that lies in a depression, concentrates the cold, and can stay put for days and days. Normal winter activites are enough to bring on air pollution.
But unlike smog, when a couple of breezy days come, just enough to mix up the air, the inversions blow out. There can be many of them in a cold winter, especially in the coldest months.
During these inversions, it's the high elevations that become the warmest. Cities in the deepest pockets are most prone, while cities that are on sidehills or benches, where the air can't concentrate, are the least susceptible to inversions.
Once in a while, though, a really big inversion can settle over very large areas. The big ones don't ever last very long, but they can last long enough to make a large valley full of log smog in a bitter cold winter.
TY everyone & again very much Mike, for this info. We are considering property in Bonner & wanted to get more info re the air quality on a daily basis at different times of yr.
TY everyone & again very much Mike, for this info. We are considering property in Bonner & wanted to get more info re the air quality on a daily basis at different times of yr.
It may help you if you try to strike the average temps in a location.
Cold air inversions usually don't last a long time, except in some places.
Boise, for example, is known for them, because most of the city lies in a lower spot than all the surrounding terrain. It's not the same in other places.
I don't know a thing about what lake effect does to winter climate in terms of air pollution. But if that could be a problem for you, long-time locals probably could say something about it.
High country may be warmer during those really cold inversions, but it's probably going to be colder longer in a year's time, and will have fewer really warm days in mid-summer.
For me, Idaho Falls, though it has a reputation as being colder and windier here, works well for me in the winters. The cold doesn't bother me, and the wind keeps the air scrubbed pretty clean most times.
The thing that really bothers me during the winter is the lack of sunshine. Idaho Falls tends to get very sunny when the temps get cold, and for me that's much better. I would have a very hard time spending a winter in McCall, CDA, or anywhere by a lake, as it's always too overcast and cloudy.
Since you'll be living in your place year round, try to find a spot that averages out most favorably for you if you can. Best of luck in your hunt!
TY again Mike as you've been a wealth of info on here! Still looking into property there as we speak.
Quote:
Originally Posted by banjomike
It may help you if you try to strike the average temps in a location.
Cold air inversions usually don't last a long time, except in some places.
Boise, for example, is known for them, because most of the city lies in a lower spot than all the surrounding terrain. It's not the same in other places.
I don't know a thing about what lake effect does to winter climate in terms of air pollution. But if that could be a problem for you, long-time locals probably could say something about it.
High country may be warmer during those really cold inversions, but it's probably going to be colder longer in a year's time, and will have fewer really warm days in mid-summer.
For me, Idaho Falls, though it has a reputation as being colder and windier here, works well for me in the winters. The cold doesn't bother me, and the wind keeps the air scrubbed pretty clean most times.
The thing that really bothers me during the winter is the lack of sunshine. Idaho Falls tends to get very sunny when the temps get cold, and for me that's much better. I would have a very hard time spending a winter in McCall, CDA, or anywhere by a lake, as it's always too overcast and cloudy.
Since you'll be living in your place year round, try to find a spot that averages out most favorably for you if you can. Best of luck in your hunt!
FWIW, OP.... think about the sunniness. We've decided against Northern ID and NW Montana based on that. We lived in the midwest 7 years and the Great Lakes 'winter greyness' bothered us.
And BTW, what BJM stated about elevations and cooler air sinking and temp inversions in valleys when the air is calm works all over. Seen that in central ID (Stanley basin in winter), and it happens here in the Appalachians too, particularly in late spring and early fall. So look around NID for some elevation above a valley floor and I bet you will be fine.
FWIW, OP.... think about the sunniness. We've decided against Northern ID and NW Montana based on that. We lived in the midwest 7 years and the Great Lakes 'winter greyness' bothered us.
And BTW, what BJM stated about elevations and cooler air sinking and temp inversions in valleys when the air is calm works all over. Seen that in central ID (Stanley basin in winter), and it happens here in the Appalachians too, particularly in late spring and early fall. So look around NID for some elevation above a valley floor and I bet you will be fine.
Thanks, ham...
Yup. But if the elevation is high at the top, I suspect finding a good point halfway up would be better than looking at the top or the bottom.
The times I noticed when the highest spots are the warmest, most noticeably warmer, are relatively few. When it's 10º outside in the valley and only 15º up high, even when its very sunny, it's still a very cold day in either spot. A 5-degree difference won't be enough to keep you feeling really comfortably warm.
But when there's a 20-degree difference, which does happen but rarely, it definitely does make me feel more comfortable.
That all really depends on me, though. I'm so accustomed to life in snow country I hate hot weather. I'm at my best when I'm a little cool, so 'too hot' to me is 90º. That's not so overheated if a person has lived in Las Vegas for a year or two.
I've discovered that as I age, my tolerance for both heat and cold has narrowed quite a lot. Basically, I am now at my best when the temp is 69-70º year round during the daytime. That means I'm turning on my furnace a little sooner, and turning it off for the summer a little later than I've done in the past. It also means I'm carrying around a sweater in the vehicle all summer too, even when I expect I won't be needing it.
It's all very relative. When it comes to inversions, I think the greatest concern should be the desire for clean air more than anything else. The log smog in Boise does bother folks more there the most in winter, not the cold.
We went with property half way up the mountain. The decision was made more for seclusion and views, than for staying above the inversion line.
What we have noticed is; it is often sunnier on our property than in the valley. As already stated, it doesn't really change the temperature enough to be a factor, but the sunlight is welcomed. It is also amazingly beautiful, to be standing on the property in the sun and looking across a cloud filled valley. You feel like the only people on Earth.
One cautionary piece of advice; living at higher elevations might involve ascents, often on poorly maintained dirt roads. Make sure you have a vehicle that can climb a hill in snow and ice.
P.S., this is in Bonner County.
Last edited by Cavalry_Chief; 11-22-2019 at 09:49 PM..
Reason: added location
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