Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Air
Volume
3
Issue
3
Publisher
MDPI AG
Publication Date
8-31-2025
Journal Article Version
Version of Record
First Page
1
Last Page
21
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Abstract
After heavy snowfall in the Uinta Basin, Utah, elevated surface ozone occurs if a cold-air pool persists and traps emissions from oil and gas industry operations. Sunlight and actinic flux from a high-albedo snowpack drive ozone buildup via photolysis. Snow coverage is paramount in initiating the cold pool and driving ozone generation. Its depth is critical for predicting ozone concentrations. The Basin’s location leeward of the Wasatch Mountains provides conditions for a precipitation shadow, where sinking air suppresses snowfall. We analyzed multiple years of ground-based snow depth measurements, surface ozone data, and meteorological observations; we found that ozone levels track with snow coverage, but diagnosing a shadow effect (and any impact on ozone levels) was difficult due to sparse, noisy data. The uncertainty in linking snowfall variation to ozone levels hinders forecast quality in, e.g., machine-learning training. We highlight the importance of a better understanding of regional variation when issuing outlooks to protect the local economy and health. A wider sampling of snow depth across the Basin would benefit operational forecasters and, likely, predictive skill.
Recommended Citation
Davies, M.J.; Lawson, J.R.; O’Neil, T.; Lyman, S.N.; Zager, K.; Coxson, T.D. Uinta Basin Snow Shadow: Impact of Snow-Depth Variation on Winter Ozone Formation. Air 2025, 3, 22. https://doi.org/10.3390/air3030022