Local Weather
Grand Staircase–Escalante National Monument — larger than all five of Utah’s national parks combined — is one of the most extraordinary landscapes in America. It was protected because it matters: to science, to history, and to the people who call this region home. Its cliffs and canyons hold fossils that reshape our understanding of life on Earth, sacred and historic sites that carry deep cultural meaning, and fragile desert ecosystems found nowhere else.
But protection on paper is not enough.
Grand Staircase–Escalante Partners is a rural nonprofit rooted in the communities that surround the Monument. We work alongside local residents, scientists, land managers, and Tribal partners to care for this place every day. We support research and education, preserve cultural memory, improve trails and habitat, and create opportunities for local people to stay connected to the land and benefit from it responsibly.
The Monument’s future depends on steady, local stewardship. Our job is to make sure this landscape — and the communities tied to it — remain strong for generations to come.
Escalante
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Big Water
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Air Quality
Airborne pollutants such as smog, dust, pollen, soot, and smoke are potentially hazardous. Combustion especially, including engine exhaust and wildfire smoke, contain particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers and smaller, also known as PM2.5.
PM2.5 is harmful because it remains suspended in the air for longer durations of time, and when inhaled is small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs. Short term exposure can lead to congestion, coughing, increased blood pressure, and inflammation. Prolonged exposure can contribute to respiratory distress and other chronic ailments such as asthma, emphysema, cardiopulmonary disease, pneumonia, and more.
How can you reduce your exposure?
Check air quality before venturing outside. When air pollution is above healthy levels, it is best to remain indoors, limit physical activity, or wear a mask (such as N95) that is able to filter out fine particles.
0-50: Air quality is satisfactory, and pollution poses little or no risk.
51-100: Air quality is acceptable. There may be risk for unusually sensitive people.
101-150: Members of sensitive groups may experience health effects with 24 hours of exposure. The general public is less likely to be affected.
151-200: The general public may experience health effects with 24 hours of exposure. Sensitive groups may experience more serious health effects.
201-300: Health alert. The risk of health effects is increased for everyone with 24 hours of exposure.
>300: Health warning of emergency conditions. Everyone is likely to be affected with 24 hours of exposure.
PurpleAir is the largest national real-time air quality monitoring system. It utilizes crowdsourced data from a network of individual internet-connected sensors that continually monitor PM2.5 pollution. The data can be accessed from anywhere at: https://map.purpleair.com.
