It’s not smoke: Southern Utah’s hazy skies result from dust, wind from surrounding areas

Wisps of clouds and haze are seen moving in during the afternoon, St. George, Utah, Sept. 9, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — It’s been a hazy Friday in St. George, and many are talking on social media about how smoky it is.

Clouds and dust seen in the sky over LaVerkin, Utah, Sept. 9, 2022 | Photo by Ron Chaffin, St. George News

For the most part, it’s not smoke people are seeing. 

According to satellite data as of Friday afternoon, smoke from several fires in the Sierra Nevada mountains of Northern California is seeping into Utah, but just about all of it is going into Northern Utah and the Salt Lake City area. 

What people in St. George are seeing is dust being kicked up by 15-20 mph winds being clocked at St. George Regional Airport and actual clouds from the outer edges of Tropical Storm Kay, which is mostly off Baja California. 

Those clouds might bring rain to Southern Utah later in the evening and the monsoonal pattern of possible late afternoon rain is back and expected to stick around through next Thursday, the National Weather Service’s Salt Lake City office said. 

A map showing from blue to purple the concentrations of smoke emanating from California wildfires into Utah as of 3 p.m. on Sep. 9, 2022. Each red dot indicates a wildfire. | Photo courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, St. George News | Click to enlarge

People going to Zion National Park this weekend should be aware that flash flooding is expected in slot canyons. The weather service also said that by later tonight, it is possible the upper wind patterns might change enough to actually bring some of that Northern Utah smoke down here. 

In the next 24 hours, Kay will make its effects known in areas to the south and west of St. George. The weather service has issued a flash flood watch for Southern Nevada, including Mesquite and parts of Northern Arizona starting tonight and lasting through Saturday night.

For those curious about air quality in Southern Utah, the Utah Department of Environmental Quality website provides up-to-the-minute air quality reports.

Around 1:30 p.m. Friday, the color was green, or “good,” with relatively low ozone and fine particulate matter readings. By 4:30 p.m., the air quality was labeled yellow, or “moderate,” with the aforementioned levels having increased.

According to the UDEQ air quality date:

Particulate matter (PM), also known as particle pollution, is a complex mixture of extremely small dust and soot particles. For more information, visit Air Pollutants: Particulate Matter.

Ozone (O3) is formed when hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides chemically react in the presence of sunlight and heat. For more information visit, Air Pollutants: Ozone.

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