The Shelby County Health Department said there is “no single source” responsible for odor concerns across the county and city of Memphis.
Health officials said the odor is believed to be the result of “temporary weather conditions” including high humidity, fog, and high pressure. The department noted their meteorologists said these factors caused odors to linger “close[r] to the ground” for longer periods of time.
“Those weather conditions have changed, and the odors have dispersed,” the Shelby County Health Department said in a statement.
The department said their team will continue to work with local officials to deal with possible sources.
Complaints about a smell permeating around Memphis surfaced over the weekend on social media. A Reddit thread with over 120 comments discussed the odor.
“I’ve lived downtown for over 15 years and this smell happens every once in a while, but tonight’s smell is the [worst] I’ve ever experienced,” one Redditor commented.
Netizens near Midtown also expressed concerns.
Chief Meteorologist at WREG Channel 3, Tyler Eliasen, took to social media on Tuesday and said while he couldn’t pin the source of the smell, the reason more people were aware of it was due to “temperature inversion.”
He explained that warmer air can exist “a few thousand feet above our heads” during colder months, as opposed to cooler temperatures usually existing at that level.
“This ‘inversion’ acts like a lid and traps pollution, smoke, dust, and yes, even smells near the ground,” Eliasen said in a post.
The Shelby County Health Department said citizens experiencing “similar odors” should contact the Shelby County Mayor’s Action Center at 901-222-2300.
