Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
LITTLE COTTONWOOD CANYON — Visiting Utah again after nearly 30 years, north Florida resident John Floyd traveled up Little Cottonwood Canyon to get above the inversion and experience the grandeur of the mountains.
Floyd was stationed at Hill Air Force Base nearly three decades ago, and had fond memories of his time skiing at Alta and Snowbird ski resorts. Concluding a business trip, he decided to "take a little trip up (Little) Cottonwood Canyon just to bring back some memories." He was also looking forward to "being able to get above the temperature inversion."
Halfway up the canyon, it was a bright and sunny day with temperatures at 44 degrees. Floyd was able to unzip his jacket, take off his hat and gloves, and bask in the relative warmth.
Down in the valley Floyd overlooked, it was a totally different day. Visibility is limited to a few blocks, the air is unhealthy to breathe, and the temperature is 15 degrees colder.
The Utah Department of Environmental Quality listed the air quality as "unhealthy" on Tuesday, and it's likely to stay unhealthy in the coming days.
Coming up to the mountains enabled Floyd to get away from that gloom and experience the Utah he remembered.
"If you stay in the city, you tend to develop that gloomy dull outlook on things," he said. "But coming up here kind of gives you a whole new perspective, a breath of fresh air and beautiful sunshine."
If there's any consolation for Utah's population, Floyd says that the inversion isn't nearly as thick as when he was stationed here. "What I remember back in those days was a much thicker inversion."
And he's right. The Utah Division of Air Quality says that while Utah's population has increased 26 percent between 2002 and 2014 — adding more than 600,000 people — total statewide emissions declined 30 percent, a 46 percent reduction in per capita emissions.
So if the inversion is dampening your mood, remember that a short trip up the canyons can lead to an escape.
Contributing: Freeman Stevenson
