Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook September 30

Front Range Action Day for Particulates Until at least 4 p.m. 09/30/2020

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued an ACTION DAY ALERT at 4PM on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 for the Front Range Urban Corridor from Douglas County north to Larimer and Weld counties, including the Denver-Boulder area, Fort Collins and Greeley.

Smoke from several local wildfires has settled overnight into the Front Range region and resulted in Fine Particulate concentrations in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy range. Please see the Front Range Air Quality Forecast below for details.

This Particulates Action Day Alert will remain in effect until at least 4 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

For statewide conditions, forecasts and advisories, visit:
www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx

At 7AM (MST), Wednesday, 9/30/2020 the highest AQI value was 127 for Particulate less than 2.5 micrometers which indicates Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups air quality. Increasing likelihood of respiratory symptoms in sensitive individuals, aggravation of heart or lung disease and premature mortality in people with cardiopulmonary disease and older adults. People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Regional Air Quality Council's Summer 2020 Ozone Action Day Alert Program has concluded. The winter High Pollution Advisory Program begins on November 1. Air Quality Action Days or advisories for ozone for other pollutants, however, will be issued as needed at any time during the year and reported on this web page.

The Air Pollution Control Division's Winter 2020/2021 High Pollution Advisory Program will begin November 1. Thank you for your interest in and support for efforts to improve air quality for the citizens of the Denver- metro area.

Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook
FRONT RANGE AIR QUALITY FORECAST:
Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 7:50 AM MDT

Ozone concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Wednesday.

Fine Particulate Matter concentrations are expected to be in the Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range on Wednesday. Wildfire smoke from local fires is increasing fine particulate concentrations throughout the Colorado Front Range. Concentrations of fine particulates will reach the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category across large sections of central Colorado, including Ft. Collins, Greeley, Longmont, Boulder, the Denver Metro area, Colorado Springs, as well as areas southward through Pueblo to the New Mexico border. Concentrations of fine particulates may reach the Unhealthy category at times in locations nearest to the fires, potentially reaching locations in the Front Range, including Fort Collins. Throughout the Colorado Front Range region, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion on Wednesday. For other areas near the Front Range, including the lower foothills and adjacent eastern plains, unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion on Wednesday.

Carbon Monoxide concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Wednesday.

Nitrogen Dioxide concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Wednesday.

Visibility in Denver on Wednesday is expected to be Poor.

COLORADO SMOKE OUTLOOK:
Tuesday, September 29, 2020, 7:00 PM MDT

Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke

Issued for Larimer and Boulder counties
Issued at 9:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Revised at 7:00 PM MDT, Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Affected Area: Larimer and Boulder counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Rustic, Red Feather Lakes, Ft. Collins, Loveland, Allenspark, Ward, and Nederland.

Advisory in Effect: 9:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, September 29, 2020 to 9:00 AM MDT, Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Public Health Recommendations: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.

Outlook: Heavy smoke from the Cameron Peak and Mullen wildfires is impacting sections of Larimer and Boulder counties. Smoke will move in a southeasterly direction from both fires through Tuesday evening. By late Tuesday evening, the wind will decrease and smoke will begin to settle into valleys within the advisory area, especially in central and western parts of Larimer and Boulder counties. Additionally, areas of heavy smoke will begin to drain from the Cameron Peak fire along Poudre Canyon Road and into the Ft. Collins area through early Wednesday morning.

Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke

Issued for Grand, Clear Creek, and Gilpin counties
Issued at 7:00 PM MDT, Tuesday, September 29, 2020

Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Affected Area: Grand, Clear Creek, and Gilpin counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Parshall, Georgetown, Empire, Idaho Springs, Central City, and Blackhawk.

Advisory in Effect: 7:00 PM MDT, Tuesday, September 29, 2020 to 9:00 AM MDT, Wednesday, September 30, 2020.

Public Health Recommendations: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.

Outlook: The Williams Fork wildfire has intensified which is increasing smoke across the advisory area. Smoke will continue to move in a southeasterly direction through Tuesday evening impacting areas downwind of the fire, including Georgetown, Empire, and Idaho Springs. By late Tuesday evening the wind will decrease and smoke will begin to drain into lower lying areas surrounding the fire. This will bring the possibility for heavy smoke through early Wednesday morning to locations along Ute Pass Road and into the Parshall area, along with valley locations southeast of the fire in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties.

The 7,897 acre Middle Fork wildfire is located in Routt County, approximately 8 miles northeast of Steamboat Springs. Winds near the fire on Tuesday will be out of the west or northwest. This will transport smoke to areas to the east or southeast of the fires location. The greatest impacts from this smoke are expected to remain in mainly rural portions of central Routt County. Overnight Tuesday night, winds are expected to be light, and smoke will begin to settle in low lying terrain in areas immediately below the fire. This may bring periods of moderate smoke to areas in the Mad Creek drainage.

What if there is a wildfire or smoke in your area?
The focus of the Colorado Smoke Outlook is on large fires (e.g., greater than 100 acres in size). Nevertheless, smoke from smaller fires, prescribed fires, and/or smoke from new fires not yet known to
CDPHE air quality meteorologists may cause locally heavy smoke. If there is smoke in your neighborhood, see the public health recommendations below.

Public health recommendations for areas affected by smoke:
If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. IF VISIBILITY IS LESS THAN 5 MILES IN SMOKE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SMOKE HAS REACHED LEVELS THAT ARE UNHEALTHY.

WHAT IS AN ACTION DAY?: An Action Day for fine particulate matter, carbon monoxide, ozone or other pollutants indicates that either current air quality is unhealthy or conditions are expected to worsen later in the day or on the next day. Action Days for air pollutants generally indicate that air quality will be in either the Unhealthy or Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups categories according to the Air Quality Index. Action Days always convey overarching public health recommendations, and, according to season, trigger a variety of mandatory and voluntary pollution prevention measures. For example, during the summer open burning is prohibited when an Action Day for ozone and/or fine particulates is in effect. During the winter, residential burning restrictions are in effect when an Action Day for Visibility is in effect.

For a detailed description of both the AIR QUALITY INDEX and the VISIBILITY STANDARD INDEX please visit www.colorado.gov/airquality/brochure.aspx

COLORADO OPEN BURN FORECAST: For those with permits for open burning, that is the burning of waste materials or vegetation outside, check the following webpage to find out if open burning is allowed today. Keep in mind that open burning is prohibited when an Action Day is in effect:
www.colorado.gov/airquality/burn_forecast.aspx

FOR CURRENT FRONT RANGE ACTION DAYS/ADVISORIES:
www.colorado.gov/airquality/advisory.aspx

FOR CURRENT AIR QUALITY CONDITIONS STATEWIDE:
www.colorado.gov/airquality/air_quality.aspx

SOCIAL MEDIA:
www.facebook.com/cdphe.apcd
twitter.com/cdpheapcd

AIR QUALITY NOTIFICATIONS:
www.colorado.gov/airquality/request_alerts.aspx (CDPHE automated e-mail alerts)
www.enviroflash.info/signup.cfm (CDPHE forecasts via automated e-mails from the EPA)


fire.airnow.gov/