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SALT LAKE CITY — After a nice reprieve the last few days, wildfire smoke is returning to Utah, which is expected to worsen air quality along the Wasatch Front for the remainder of the workweek.
Air quality may reach levels considered unhealthy for sensitive groups in Davis, Salt Lake and Utah counties through at least Friday partially because of "high concentrations" of wildfire smoke, the Utah Division of Air Quality notes. The division adds that moderate air quality levels are forecast elsewhere in the state, but that could change depending on the concentration of smoke within parts of central Utah and areas north of it.
"If smoke becomes thick, persons with existing heart or respiratory ailments should reduce physical exertion and outdoor activity," the agency wrote.
Heads up! Smoke returns to northern Utah by Wednesday evening! #utwx 😷 pic.twitter.com/Z4LU8KsXW4
— Matthew Johnson (@KSL_Matt) August 6, 2024
The smoky return is tied to a high-pressure system set up slightly west of the Four Corners region, KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson explains. It's blocking winds from the south and allowing for winds to return from the west, where Utah will primarily receive smoky air from the Park Fire in northern California.
The massive blaze — the nation's largest active fire and one of the largest in California's history — has now scorched over 420,000 acres north of Chico, according to an update Wednesday. That's over 80% of Salt Lake County's total area size, for comparison.
Over 6,500 personnel are now assigned to battle the fire, which is now considered 34% contained, according to federal firefighters. Utah is also lending a hand in those efforts. After briefly retaining assets over wildfire concerns in the state the last few days, about 45 firefighters from different Utah agencies left the state Wednesday to join those firefighting operations.
The fire started on July 24. The Butte County District Attorney's Office filed arson charges against a 42-year-old Chico man the following day, alleging that he pushed a car that was on fire into a gully, sparking the blaze.
It has since destroyed over 600 structures, according to Cal Fire.
Meanwhile, smoke primarily from the fire is forecast to remain a fixture within Utah's northern half through at least Friday or early Saturday before a shift in the weather pattern may clear it up.
There's also an increased risk of new fire starts in the region along with the smoke. The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for the Wasatch Mountains on Wednesday, where heat, wind and relative low humidity mix to create "critical" fire conditions. Additional warnings are possible, depending if similar conditions line up later this week.
Flash flood threats
The same weather pattern allowing for smoke to return to Utah's northern half is also producing scattered monsoonal showers within its southern half, adding to an ongoing flash flooding threat.
Flash flooding is "possible" at almost all outdoor gems in the region both Wednesday and Thursday, according to the National Weather Service. The possibility could increase heading into the weekend as the storms are forecast to become more widespread in the state.
Scattered storms will begin to move into the Wasatch Front over the weekend as the southerly flow returns to the region, pushing any western smoke to areas north of the state.
"Those breezy winds are going to be the most welcomed sight because they're going to be clearing out the smoke," Johnson said.
A slight cooldown
Some Utah cities set new daily records on Tuesday, including Salt Lake City, Provo and Spanish Fork, during the tail end of an excessive heat warning.
Salt Lake City is forecast to reach 100 degrees again on Wednesday, which would mark only the sixth time in 150 years that Utah's capital city has reached triple digits 20 days in a year. The record is 34 days set just two years ago, while 2021, 1994 and 1960 are in a three-way tie for second with 21 days.
However, more seasonal temperatures are forecast after Wednesday.
High temperatures along the Wasatch Front are forecast to slide from the upper 90s on Thursday to potentially the upper 80s and lower 90s by early next week as monsoonal storms return to the forecast.
Full seven-day forecasts for areas across Utah can be found online, at the KSL Weather Center.
