Weather forecast is dry and mild in northern Utah, but inversion is dirtying the air

It will be unseasonably warm and hazy this week in northern Utah as an inversion continues to build.

Yes, despite the warmer-than-usual temperatures, a winter inversion is fouling the air, trapping pollution on valley floors. But, because there’s virtually no snow on the ground, temperatures will remain mild, according to the National Weather Service. Other than a slight dip to a high of 51 on Tuesday, temperatures will be in the mid- to upper 50s through Saturday in Salt Lake City, with overnight lows in the mid-30s.

Normal high temperatures for this week fall from the mid-40s to the low 40s.

And it’ll be even warmer in southern Utah — highs in the mid 60s to about 70, which is about 10 degrees warmer than usual for this time of year. Overnight lows will be in the upper 30s and low 40s.

The average date of the season’s first snowfall is Nov. 7, according to the weather service. But there’s no snow or even rain in the forecast. And that’s going to be a problem because there will be no storms to clear out the smog/haze in northern Utah. According to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, air quality will be yellow/moderate in Salt Lake, Cache, Davis, Duchesne, Tooele, Uintah, Utah and Weber/Box Elder counties through Tuesday — and it’s expected to get worse, moving into the orange/unhealthy for sensitive people category later in the week.

Clear skies and clean air are in the forecast for southern Utah.

— Tribune reporter Kolbie Peterson contributed to this story.