By MIKE STARK
Associated Press Writer
SALT LAKE CITY – A thick layer of smog stubbornly lingering over parts of Utah has fouled the state’s air so badly this week that health officials warned people not to exercise outside and some schools kept children inside for recess and sports.
The haze that has obscured Utah’s picture-perfect mountain views for the last several days is blamed on a weather phenomenon called an inversion that pins pollution to the valley floors and doesn’t relent until a storm blows through.
The smog spell has made Utah’s air the dirtiest in the country for almost a week, and nearly 8 of 10 Utah residents are living under health advisories. Residents are being urged to drive less and prohibited from burning wood, and sometimes even the most fit have been urged not to exercise outside.