LOGAN – City officials here are warning local residents to expect deteriorating air quality in Cache Valley for at least the next week.
Weather conditions throughout northern Utah are expected to result in atmospheric inversions in local valleys, according to a Jan. 12 social media post by the City of Logan officials.
Residents can protect themselves from deteriorating air quality by avoiding outside exercise, they advise, especially those in groups sensitive to environmental health impacts.
An atmospheric inversion, or temperature inversion, is when a layer of warm air sits over cooler air near the Earth’s surface, reversing the normal pattern where air becomes cooler at altitude. The warm air layer then acts like a lid that traps both cooler air and pollutants, leading to the formation of smog and generally poor air quality.
Given the mountainous terrain surrounding Cache Valley, air quality here is an annual problem. Last year at this time, the Logan metro area ranked 22nd worst in the nation for short-term particle pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s 2025 “State of the Air.”
The main concern for local residents is particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Such pollution is incredibly small and consequently poses a significant health risk as it can enter human lungs and bloodstreams.
Such contamination can lead to asthma attacks in children, illness among outdoor workers and low birth weights in newborns, according to the American Lung Association.
Other suggestions from Logan officials to reduce exposure to airborne pollutants include carpooling, riding local buses or postponing errands; limiting time spent with vehicles idling; working from home when ever possible; and limiting the use of word-burning fireplace and stoves.
Local residents are also encouraged to check the daily air quality forecast maintained by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality at https://air.utah.gov/currentconditions.php?id=sm