air quality (Spokane, Wenatchee: to move, dryer, humidity)

[NW4me]

Does Spokane get inversions, like Boise?

//www.city-data.com/forum/boise...inversion.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/boise...where-you.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/boise...r-boise-2.html

[PS90]

Originally Posted by NW4me

Does Spokane get inversions, like Boise?

//www.city-data.com/forum/boise...inversion.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/boise...where-you.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/boise...r-boise-2.html

I admit that I am no meteorologist or weather expert, but Spokane's geography doesn't really lend to frequent inversion layers, since there is not a steep-walled, narrow valley to contain it.

Wenatchee, for example, gets a lot of inversions, because it is a narrow valley with a large river running through it, which causes a local temperature or humidity change near the ground that can't escape. AFAIK, Spokane doesn't really have these issues.

Now, Spokane definitely does get long stints of gray, stagnant air. We're in one of those right now that's lasted over a week. Starts to get very depressing after a while. I would much rather have it clear and cold, rather than gray/gloomy and semi-cold.

[cwwjr1681]

Originally Posted by PS90

I admit that I am no meteorologist or weather expert, but Spokane's geography doesn't really lend to frequent inversion layers, since there is not a steep-walled, narrow valley to contain it.

Wenatchee, for example, gets a lot of inversions, because it is a narrow valley with a large river running through it, which causes a local temperature or humidity change near the ground that can't escape. AFAIK, Spokane doesn't really have these issues.

Now, Spokane definitely does get long stints of gray, stagnant air. We're in one of those right now that's lasted over a week. Starts to get very depressing after a while. I would much rather have it clear and cold, rather than gray/gloomy and semi-cold.

This right here is why I chose Bozeman MT over Spokane when looking to move from SLC. I wont lie though. The fact that Bozeman gets triple the Snow and about 90% less Ice (due to being a bit dryer and colder) than Spokane did had a lot to do with it too

[Upthewazzu]

The entirety of Eastern Washington tends to get a few inversions every winter. All it takes is a high pressure system to set up over the west coast, and that happens all the time.