Health department links foul odor in Memphis air to weather conditions

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Residents across the Memphis metro have been asking themselves the same question over the past several days: “What’s that stench outside?”

The Shelby County Health Department (SCHD) has been working with the county and city mayoral offices to investigate the cause.

Their preliminary findings were released Wednesday:

“The investigation found no single source responsible for the odor,” SCHD’s release states. “Health Department meteorologists believe temporary weather conditions—including high humidity, fog and high pressure—caused odors from several routine sources to remain close to the ground longer than usual.”

Action News 5’s Joyce Peterson noted this as one possible source of the smell in her report Monday night.

The Action News 5 First Alert Weather team said the odor could be due to a “temperature inversion,” in which warm air moves in and sits on top of denser, cooler air.

That traps smells and pollutants near the surface and makes them more concentrated.

Reports of a foul odor in different parts of Shelby County began over the weekend. The stink was reported from Downtown and Midtown Memphis to as far as Germantown and Millington.

SCHD says that the smell has since dispersed because weather conditions have changed.

Health department officials will continue to monitor conditions and work with local officials to address any potential sources.

Residents who notice similar odors may contact the Shelby County Mayor’s Action Center at 901-222-2300.

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