Mountain areas are famously popular for their stunning scenery and crisp fresh air… right? While you’ll find no lack of beautiful mountain views in Park City and Salt Lake, in this corner of Utah inversions become common during colder winter months.
What is an inversion?
As you may remember from your science classes, air in our atmosphere is typically warmer near the Earth’s surface, and colder at higher altitudes. An inversion is a meteorological phenomenon that occurs when cold air becomes trapped under warmer air.
What causes inversions?
Inversions are common in valleys, since the geography aids to trap cold air and pollution. In winter, snow reflects heat (rather than allowing the ground to absorb heat from sunlight). This disrupts the normal vertical mixing of warm and cold air. Ordinarily, warm air rising carries pollutants in the form of exhaust with it. The layer of warm air which occurs during an inversion acts as a lid, keeping cold, polluted air close to the surface at the bottom of the valley.
Another factor that can cause and/or exacerbate inversions are calm wind conditions, as they reduce the mixing of cold and warm air. Clouds provide insulation, allowing warm air to remain close to the ground. The lack of this insulation when skies are clear cools the air close to the ground, thereby worsening inversion conditions. Longer winter nights allow for surface temperatures to remain lower, longer. The sun being lower on the horizon in winter also impacts inversion conditions, as it provides more warmth to the atmosphere, and less to the Earth’s surface.
Health Impacts
Polluted air trapped in the Salt Lake valley during inversions can cause irritation in some people. For individuals with underlying health conditions such as asthma and COPD, air pollution from inversions can worsen symptoms. Particulate matter (abbreviated PM2.5; where 2.5 refers to the particle’s size in micrometers) is what causes respiratory irritation during inversions, as PM2.5 is fine enough to filter into our lungs. Long-term exposure for folks who live in the area full time can lead to more dramatic impacts such as increased risk of developing cancer.
In order to reduce your intake of harmful pollutants during inversions, healthcare professionals recommend keeping an eye on air quality levels (an interactive air quality map for the Salt Lake and Park City areas can be found here).
An inversion in the Salt Lake City valley.
Many people elect to travel to higher elevations to escape poor air quality in valleys; such as driving from Salt Lake City to Park City to recreate in the mountains. As you may have already guessed, this actually worsens the problem by creating more emissions to be trapped under the blanket of the inversion. Let’s take a look at human impacts that contribute towards inversions, and how we can help mitigate inversions.
How can we help?
As we explored above, there are plenty of naturally-occurring contributions that create conditions favorable to inversions. However, it is important to remember that the pollution which becomes trapped in them is due to human activity. Don’t despair! Since humans are creating the pollution that contributes to poor air quality during inversions, we have the power to reduce our impact as well.
Smoke from burning wood, as well as industrial emissions and car exhaust are some of the most common pollutants that become trapped close to the ground during inversions. By addressing these sources of pollution, we can help improve air quality during inversions, making Park City and the greater Salt Lake area a better place to live, visit, and recreate in.
- If your accommodations have a fireplace, consider having fewer fires throughout your stay
- Do your part to reduce your emissions by driving cars less
- If where you are going is nearby, consider walking there instead of driving!
- Consider taking public transit or carpooling. Park City offers a free bus to get you around town! Check out the routes and schedules here.
- On All Seasons Adventures trips, we combine our tour groups whenever possible, essentially setting up a carpool for you. How easy is that?
We love being able to recreate in this beautiful corner of Utah, and we know you do, too! So take some extra time on your next trip to Park City to help us reduce our emissions and keep our mountain air clean!
For more details, visit our activity-specific links below, or reach out to us directly. Call to book your unforgettable winter adventure with us today!