This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

On a clear day you can see forever? Residents of the Wasatch Front will just have to take that on faith.

As the winter air inversion worsened at the mid-week, trapping increasing levels of automobile exhausts and industrial particulates in the state's rancid-smelling urban valleys, some Utahns were lucky to see beyond the end of the block.

The Utah Division of Air Quality began Wednesday with "Red," or unhealthy breathability grades for all of the state's regions with the exception of eastern Utah's Duchesne and Uintah counties; they were "Yellow," for compromised air quality. No improvement was expected Thursday, despite some light snow flurries expected along northern Utah's benches overnight.

At least it was a few degrees warmer, though marginally so. Northern Utah's highs Wednesday were pegged in the upper teens with overnight lows in the teens and highs on Thursday around 20 degrees.

Southern Utahns looked for highs in the 50s Wednesday, followed by overnight lows in the mid-30s and mid-50s highs on Thursday.

The Utah Avalanche Center rated the risk for dangerous backcountry snow slides Wednesday at "low" for all of the state's mountains with the exception of the Uintas, which earned"moderate" risk ratings. The same grades were predicted for Thursday.

Salt Lake City's Wednesday high was forecast at 20 degrees, with an overnight low of 16 and high of 30 degrees to follow on Thursday; Ogden looked for 19, 16 and 30 degrees, respectively; Provo 24, 18 and 32; Logan 10, 9 and 24; Wendover 11, 11 and 24; Duchesne 20, 1 and 21; Cedar City 46, 20 and 45; St. George 58, 34 and 56; and Moab 35, 9 and 35 degrees.

remims@sltrib.com Free bus, TRAX rides on "Red" air days •

Kennecott Copper Utah and Salt Lake City's Downtown Alliance are offering free Utah Transit Authority passes for use on "Red" air days. Riders need to complete an online form in order to use the passes on buses and TRAX light rail trains.

Visit http://kennecott.com/pledge-receive-free-uta-pass to learn more.