Cold-weather inversion in Boise, Treasure Valley expected to worsen air quality

Ian Max Stevenson
·1 min read

It may no longer be fire season, but pollution in Idaho still can affect air quality.

A cold-weather inversion is expected to increase the buildup of pollution in the Treasure Valley this weekend, causing the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality to issue a moderate air quality advisory from Saturday through Monday. This will trigger prohibitions on outdoor burning in Ada County and in incorporated cities Canyon County, according to a news release.

An inversion is seen looking south over Boise from Bogus Basin Road on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. A cold-weather inversion occurs when cooler air gets trapped close to the surface below a layer of warmer air, causing stagnant conditions and trapping pollution.
An inversion is seen looking south over Boise from Bogus Basin Road on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021. A cold-weather inversion occurs when cooler air gets trapped close to the surface below a layer of warmer air, causing stagnant conditions and trapping pollution.

A cold-weather inversion occurs when cooler air gets trapped close to the surface below a layer of warmer air, causing stagnant conditions and trapping pollution. The inversions are not uncommon in late fall and winter.

The Air Quality Index in the Treasure Valley was expected to be 61 on Saturday and 63 on Sunday and Monday, according to the DEQ. A score between 51 and 100 is considered moderate, while a score between 0 and 50 is considered good.

Idaho’s DEQ asks that residents limit their driving, combine errands into single trips and not burn outdoors in order to prevent a smoggy buildup.