This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Snowstorms have eased ahead of the Wasatch Front's weekend, but it's no time to breathe easy — not with bitterly cold temperatures ushering in pollution-trapping air inversions.
The Utah Division of Air Quality noted degraded atmospheric conditions in the state's urban valleys. Cache County was the worst, getting an "orange" grade for particulate pollution levels that extended through the weekend. That rating came with a ban on open burning and solid-fuel burning devices, and warnings for children, the elderly and those with compromised lung function to avoid prolonged outdoor activity.
The air quality was little better in Salt Lake, Davis, Utah, Weber and Box Elder counties, all of which got "yellow" grades for moderate particulate levels — along with a request that residents voluntarily refrain open burning outdoors and from using coal- or wood-burning stoves.
Meanwhile, temperatures dipped well below freezing as Friday dawned. The Carbon County town of Wellington shivered at minus-15, while Altamont was at minus-7 and Panguitch minus-3 degrees. Salt Lake City hit 24, while Provo was 23 and Logan at 15 degrees.
The danger of backcountry mountain snowslides remained elevated as of Friday. The Utah Avalanche Center put the Logan, Salt Lake, Uintas and Moab mountains at "considerable" avalanche risk, while the Ogden, Provo, Skyline and Abajo districts were at "moderate" danger.
For more extensive forecast information visit the Tribune's weather page at http://www.sltrib.com/news/weather/.
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