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Use the live AQI map to see outdoor air conditions in your part of Utah. Check the reading and color for your town, then plan time outside or focus on indoor air as needed.
Utah’s live AQI map gives a quick view of outdoor air for your neighborhood and helps you time outdoor plans.
Inversions, summer ozone, wildfire smoke, and dust events are the main drivers of higher readings across the state.
Simple steps at home and outside reduce exposure on bad air days, and a clean, suitable Filterbuy filter helps keep indoor air more comfortable.
Open the map and look up your town or ZIP. Lower readings and cooler colors mean cleaner air. Higher readings and warmer colors mean more pollution. If the number rises during the day, keep outdoor time shorter or move hard activity indoors, especially for people with asthma, COPD, or heart disease, and for young children and older adults.
Winter temperature inversions along the Wasatch Front can trap fine particles near the ground until a storm clears the valley.
Summer heat and sunshine can raise ozone in the afternoon, especially along busy corridors.
Dry and windy periods can lift dust from open land and the Great Salt Lake lakebed, which has documented health impacts.
In winter, calm air often holds pollution close to neighborhoods until a storm mixes the air.
Spring brings windy days and dust events in open areas.
Summer heat increases afternoon ozone across parts of the Wasatch Front.
The Central Wasatch Commission’s Environmental Dashboard shows that fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) was generally higher in the early 2000s and has trended lower in more recent years, with one of the cleanest years in the late 2010s. Ozone tends to peak in summer and stay lower in cooler months. Year-round ozone tracking began in the mid-2000s, which makes these seasonal patterns easier to see.
The article also notes recent population growth that adds pressure from travel, housing, and construction. As of July 1, 2023, Utah’s population was 3,456,482, up 55,989 from 2022. These growth factors, combined with winter inversions and seasonal smoke, help explain why Salt Lake Valley still sees visible haze on some days even as long-term PM2.5 averages have improved.
Use the map like a weather check. Look in the morning before errands, outdoor work, or exercise, and recheck if wind shifts, heat builds, or smoke shows up in the forecast. If you work outside, glance again at midday so you can move heavy tasks earlier or later. If your route looks worse than your neighborhood, choose a different path or wait until conditions improve.
Small changes help. Keep hard exercise shorter and take more breaks. Choose parks and paths away from heavy traffic. Drink water and rest in shade or an indoor space when you can. If coughing, chest tightness, or shortness of breath starts, move activity indoors and rest.
Keep spare HVAC filters on hand and know the highest MERV your system allows.
Choose one cleaner room and be ready to run a portable air cleaner there.
Learn “recirculate” settings on your home system and in your car.
Watch wind and smoke forecasts along with the live AQI map.
Plan safe cooling options if closing windows could make the home too warm.
When the air improves, a short cleanup lowers indoor particles faster. Wipe hard surfaces with a damp cloth or microfiber. Vacuum carpets and rugs with a HEPA type vacuum if you have one. Wash bedding and throw blankets. Let the HVAC fan run for a few hours with a clean filter, then check the filter and replace it if it looks loaded.
Choose MERV 8 for everyday dust and larger pollen and to keep the system cleaner.
Use MERV 11 if you have pets or mild allergies and want better capture of small particles like dander and many mold spores.
Upgrade to MERV 13 for finer particles in smoke and urban haze, but only if your system is rated for higher efficiency.
Filterbuy provides U.S. made pleated filters in many standard and custom sizes so the filter seats properly and reduces air bypass. The synthetic media captures more than basic fiberglass and still supports airflow when changed on time. Many homes replace filters every one to three months. Orders ship fast with free shipping in the continental United States, and Auto Delivery helps you stay on schedule.
A live map that shows current outdoor air conditions for your location with one number and a matching color.
Check in the morning before outdoor plans. Recheck later if wind shifts, heat builds, or smoke is in the forecast.
Cold, calm air can trap pollution in the valleys during inversions, so particles build up until a storm mixes the air.
Heat and sun can raise ozone in the afternoon, and regional wildfire smoke can add fine particles on dry days.
Wind can lift dust from exposed lakebed and open land, which adds particles to nearby communities.
Keep outdoor sessions shorter or move hard workouts indoors. Sensitive groups should be extra careful.
Close windows during the worst hours, use recirculation on AC or HVAC, avoid indoor smoke, and run a portable air cleaner if you have one.
Start with MERV 8 for everyday dust. Use MERV 11 for pets or mild allergies. Choose MERV 13 for finer particles like smoke only if your system is rated for it.
Many homes change filters every one to three months. Check more often during long heating or cooling periods or during smoke events.
