This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2007, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
It's usually not until November that temperature inversions settle in on northern Utah valleys and start raising concerns about wintertime pollution.
But, with last weekend's early season inversion trapping pollution at ground level for all to see, Utah air quality officials stepped up the start date for the winter air-pollution warning system, now in its 15th year.
They issued this season's first pollution advisories - for "moderate" air quality in Salt Lake and Davis counties - on Sunday and Monday, about four days sooner than the usual Nov. 1 start date.
"If everyone does their part to heed the wood burning warnings and use mass transit whenever possible," said Bob Dalley, manager of the state's Air Monitoring Center, "it will make a significant difference in our air quality."
The focus of the program is gradually shifting toward a health-based advisory aimed at protecting the air from vehicle pollution. The more people leave their vehicles at home, the less unhealthy pollution is pumped into the skies, the thinking goes.
Vehicles account for more than half of winter pollution. Since compliance is quite high with the wood-burning restrictions, the pollution contribution of fireplaces and stoves is waning.
Three-day pollution forecasts are available at http://www.airquality.utah.gov/. The advisories now tackle two questions: reducing pollution and protecting people whose well-being is probably going to be affected.
"This program has been absolutely crucial for Utah to meet air quality standards in the winter," said Cheryl Heying, director of the Division of Air Quality. "It's even more crucial with the tougher federal requirements that cut in half the allowable daily average of fine particulate pollution caused by combustion."
Winds, and possible precipitation are in the forecast as a Pacific storm system comes to the state today and Wednesday. If the weather cooperates, that should mean cleaner air, too.