Air quality sinking, temperatures rising making for a blistering Pioneer Day

Brace yourself. If you think it has been hot. Mother Nature is turning up the temperature even more. The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City has issued a heat advisory, with the high expected to reach 103 degrees on Wednesday as the state celebrates Pioneer Day.

The night won’t bring any relief either, with the lows expected to only dip to 77 degrees.

This weather is not atypical for July, traditionally the hottest month of the year in Utah and the driest. But the last time Salt Lake City saw any measurable precipitation was June 21, more than a month ago. And that was only a smidgen — .31 inches of rain.

So far this summer, the capital city has seen 12 days of triple digit temperatures and if Wednesday behaves as forecasters predict, it will put us at 13.

Meteorologist David Church said this year puts Salt Lake City in the No. 12 spot based on records dating back to 1874. Two summers ago was much more miserable if you don’t like the excessive heat, he added. 2002 saw 34 days above 100 degrees. And in 2021 there were 21 days that hit the triple digit mark, which is tied for the second most in history for a single year, tied with 1994 and 1960.

Such a heat index puts people at risk, hence the advisory.

“When we get that combination, and we have something called heat risk that really quantifies that actually looks at our temperatures against like CDC — instances of heat related illnesses and deaths — it correlates pretty high. So if we get to this kind of level, this kind of gets into that major risk group, and that’s when we really start to see those instances of heat illnesses increase. That’s part of the reason we have the heat advisory out there for tomorrow.”

These temperatures that are five to 10 degrees above normal mean that people should take precautions and avoid outdoor activity in the heat of the day between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., Church said.

There also seems to be no relief in sight as Utah awaits the monsoon season. Northern Utah is on the periphery of the monsoon’s impact, so sometimes it is a matter of the roll of the dice as to if it hits along the Wasatch Front.

Church says residents can expect some relief — as temperatures gradually dip to 95 degrees by Thursday — but that still seems rather hot.

Additionally, the stagnant heat-infused weather is doing nothing to abate abysmal air quality conditions that are aggravated by wildfires in Utah and around the West.

The Utah Division of Air Quality logged PM2.5 levels in Salt Lake City on Tuesday in the mid-level range with ozone far exceeding federal standards.

Utah County is in the same spot, as well as Weber and Davis counties. Both forms of pollution are harmful to the lungs and, again, people at risk are advised to avoid any prolonged exposure to the outdoors and take precautions. Even Box Elder County has dangerously high levels of the pollution.

While ozone is a persistent problem in the summer, it is the wildfire smoke that drives up fine particulate pollution, or PM2.5 pollution that easily seeps into the lungs because it is so small.

So, it is best to pamper yourself — if you can call it that — and be cautious outside, even on a state holiday.