Snow in the mountains and rain mixed with snow in valley locations early Thursday cleared the air of much of the air pollution that has blanketed the Wasatch Front in recent days.
The pollution is "very unusual for this time of year, but I think we (might be) through with it. But we may get some haze again the first part of next week," said Bob Dalley, manager of the Utah Division of Air Quality monitoring section.Early Thursday, division officials declared a yellow day - voluntary no burning - for coal- or wood-burning stoves. But conditions were upgraded to green (burning permitted) by 9 a.m.
A foul-smelling odor that caused noses to twitch early Thursday in the Salt Lake area may have been carried by northwest winds off the Great Salt Lake, said William J. Alder, meteorologist in charge of the Salt Lake office of the National Weather Service.
Rain began falling Wednesday afternoon in Brigham City and the Cache Valley and at about midnight at the Salt Lake International Airport. Thunderstorms crackled during the night around Richfield, Cedar City, Moab and the Joseph area of Sevier County. Richfield reported 0.24 of an inch of rain and Cedar City, 0.14. It rained enough to wet the streets in the St. George area.
About a half inch of snow was reported early Thursday at the top of Parleys Canyon, while Trenton, Logan, Park City, Deer Valley and ParkWest had an inch. Alta, Solitude and Brighton reported 3 inches, and Beaver Mountain, 6. A skiff of snow fell on the Bountiful bench.
Other water numbers from rain or snow as of 9 a.m. Thursday included 0.56 at Trenton; 0.68, Logan; 0.21, Tooele; 0.40, Brigham City; 0.07, Manti; 0.11, Provo; 0.18, Layton; and 0.17, Salt Lake Airport.
A forecast for colder air (generally in the 20s) statewide Thursday night should greatly improve the air pollution problem. Some patchy fog also is likely. Friday it will be mostly sunny with highs in the lower 40s along the Wasatch Front and in the 60s in Utah's Dixie. A few rain showers are expected for the weekend in northern Utah, but no showers of any consequence are forecast for southern Utah during the week-end.
Cooler temperatures Thursday and Friday should slow the melting of snow in the St. George area, Alder said.