The big news about a storm that will continue into Friday morning in Utah isn’t what it will bring but what it will take away.

According to the National Weather Service, the winter storm will drop maybe a couple of inches of snow — possibly more in some areas. But the big news is that it’s expected to stir up the air and clear out the inversion and at least some of the smog that has been plaguing northern Utah valleys.

A trace to 2 inches of snow is in the forecast for valleys in northern Utah, and 3-7 inches in mountain passes.

The storm is not expected to make the air at lower elevations crystal clear, but it is expected to improve air quality. According to the Utah Division of Air Quality, Salt Lake, Cache, Davis, Tooele, Utah and Weber/Box Elder counties should improve to yellow/moderate air on Friday.

In Salt Lake City, the National Weather Service is forecasting a 70% chance of snow on Friday, mainly before 8 a.m., with accumulation of 1-3 inches possible. Daytime temperatures will be in the low to mid-30s, with overnight lows in the 20s.

Once the storm moves out of Utah, there’s not another one in the forecast through the middle of next week. Expect mostly sunny skies, daytime highs in the low to mid-30s, and overnight lows in the low 20s — and inversions are expected to build.

Southern Utah is in even more of a weather rut. The Thursday-Friday storm won’t reach St. George, where the forecast is for sunny skies with highs in the mid-50s and overnight lows in the low 30s through Wednesday.