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But on August 15, 2016, the atmosphere conspired against Mike Biadasz. A rare weather phenomenon known as an air temperature inversion had settled over Portage County. In this scenario, a layer of warm air sits high in the sky, acting as a literal lid over the cooler air near the ground. Combined with the thick morning fog common to Wisconsin summers, this “atmospheric dome” prevented the toxic fumes released from the agitated manure from rising and dispersing. Instead, the gases remained trapped at ground level in a concentrated, invisible, and odorless cloud.
