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Originally Posted by fw102807
Wow, I was there once in June and it was so beautiful which is why I was so surprised. I never considered how the frigid temps could affect the air quality like this.
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Here's a good article that explains it.
What makes Tanana Valley inversions so harsh | Science And Technology | newsminer.com
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Here in the Tanana Valley, a mixture of our high latitude and our topography makes conditions especially ripe for inversions in the winter. Because of our inversions, residents on the hills enjoy comparatively balmy weather when the temperatures bottom out in town. However, inversions also trap pollution in the area, giving the Golden Heart City an air quality problem that’s disproportionate to the pollution the community produces.
University of Alaska Fairbanks atmospheric science professor Nicole Mölders has studied the Tanana Valley’s inversions to better understand the link between the pollution and the inversions. As she explains it, inversions are bad for air quality because they stop a process that usually cleans the air.
“Inversions suppress vertical mixing and hence the exchange with the clean air aloft,” she said.
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I know from the several trips I've made, that you want to cover your mouth when it's -30 or below...because your lungs hurt from sucking in such cold air.
