Report says Mountain West has some of the best and worst air in the country

[Pivo]

The American Lung Association’s annual air quality report shows that some of the most polluted air is in the areas around Las Vegas, Phoenix, Denver, and Salt Lake City, but some of the cleanest is in the mountain areas in Wyoming, Colorado, St. George, Utah, and Prescott Valley, Ariz.

https://www.ksut.org/2025-05-20/breathi ... he-country

[SpiderLegs]

After my bout with Valley Fever and dealing now with asthma issues, I'm eyeing finding a place to escape for the summer when I retire in a few years. I'll have to keep this list handy.

[RedRoxx44]

Summer home someday= Pinedale Wyoming

[Jim]

It's all those winter inversions, intense UV and auto emissions in summer, mountains, valleys, crowding into cities and then empty spaces.

Pima county and Flagstaff have pretty good air, or did. You can see when the brown cloud comes down from Phoenix. Similar to how I was able to see the exhaust plume from the now destroyed Page power plant back in 2011 in Kayenta. I'm not really in love with electric cars, but everyone else should drive one.

[Pivo]

@RedRoxx44
I like Pinedale, and Love Lander.

[Jim]

Pinedale is one of the towns in Wyoming that has really bad Ozone due to the fracking wells and sunshine. I remember seeing lots of bad air quality warnings for that area in the past. https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/us/10smog.html

[Pivo]

@Jim
I was surprised at the air quality in San Juan County, NM. My guess was O&G and the methane flares.

[Jim]

@Pivo
New Mexico doesn't surprise me. Those coal plants really pollute a lot. I remember huge plumes of smoke visible in the atmosphere above me while driving from 4 Corners to Cortez, in 2011 or 2012.

[RedRoxx44]

Jim
Yes-https://www.fs.usda.gov/air/documents/G ... i_Conf.pdf Unfortunately have no idea the date on this extract.

Still would like to be near the Winds area. Also closer to the Caldera for when it blows.

[CannondaleKid]

Unfortunately have no idea the date on this extract.

The latest 'reference' used for this document was October 5, 2005, so it's almost 20 years out-of-date.

[Pivo]

@CannondaleKid
Channeling your inner Chumly.

[outdoor_lover]

As someone who has lived in the crappy air of Phoenix for most of my life, I'm finding the air in Santa Fe pretty refreshing actually. Will hate to go back.

[Grimey]

@outdoor_lover
What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger or something something.

Enjoy your time in Santa Fe!

[Jim]

@outdoor_lover
You'll miss it less and less as time goes by, too

[RedRoxx44]

Have an AQ advisory for the hood this morning. Rare, but then a lot of the times I pay no attention to these things except it looks hazy out.