Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook Oct 6, 2020

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has issued an ACTION DAY ALERT at 4PM on Monday, October 5, 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.

Moderate to heavy smoke has been observed across the Front Range region Tuesday morning. The heaviest smoke is located in Larimer County, including Ft. Collins due to smoke transported from the Cameron Peak wildfire in western Larimer County and the Mullen wildfire in south-central Wyoming. Although smoke is expected to gradually decrease on Tuesday as atmospheric mixing increases, additional smoke from the fire could be transported into the region Tuesday afternoon and evening, especially northern areas including Larimer and Weld counties.

This Particulates Action Day Alert will remain in effect until at least 4 p.m. Tuesday, October 6, 2020.

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

At 8AM (MST), Tuesday, 10/6/2020 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.

Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook
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FRONT RANGE AIR QUALITY FORECAST:
Tuesday, October 6, 2020, 6:45 AM MDT

Ozone concentrations are expected to be in the Good to Moderate range on Tuesday.

Fine Particulate Matter concentrations are expected to be in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups to Unhealthy range on Tuesday. Moderate to heavy smoke has been observed across the Front Range region Tuesday morning. The heaviest smoke is located in Larimer County, including Ft. Collins due to smoke transported from the Cameron Peak wildfire in western Larimer County and the Mullen wildfire in south-central Wyoming. Although smoke is expected to gradually decrease on Tuesday as atmospheric mixing increases, additional smoke from the fire could be transported into the region Tuesday afternoon and evening, especially northern areas including Larimer and Weld counties.

For locations in Larimer County, including Ft. Collins, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion Tuesday. Everyone else in Larimer County should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion on Tuesday. For all other parts of the Front Range including Greeley, Boulder, Denver, and Colorado Springs, people with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion on Tuesday.

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

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

Visibility in Denver on Tuesday is expected to be Poor to Extremely Poor.

COLORADO SMOKE OUTLOOK:
Tuesday, October 6, 2020, 8:00 AM MDT

Moderate to heavy smoke has been observed across the Front Range region Tuesday morning. The heaviest smoke is in Larimer County, including Ft. Collins due to smoke transported from the Cameron Peak wildfire in western Larimer County and the Mullen wildfire in south-central Wyoming. Although smoke is expected to gradually decrease on Tuesday as atmospheric mixing increases, additional smoke from the fire could be transported into the region Tuesday afternoon and evening, especially northern areas including Larimer and Weld counties. The entire Front Range region remains under an Action Day for Fine Particulates until at least 4 pm Tuesday. For more information, please see www.colorado.gov/airquality/advisory.aspx


Smoke from both in-state and out-of-state wildfires will impact the entire state of Colorado on Tuesday. For all areas not included in the below advisories, unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion throughout the weekend, particularly in valley locations where smoke will likely be heavier and slower to clear during the daylight hours.


Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke

Issued for portions of central and southern Colorado
Issued at 9:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, October 6, 2020

Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Affected Area: Park, Teller, El Paso, Fremont, Custer and Pueblo counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Fairplay, Cripple Creek, Colorado Springs, Canon City, Westcliffe, and Pueblo.

Advisory in Effect: 9:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, October 6, 2020 to 4:00 PM MDT, Tuesday, October 6, 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: Widespread smoke transported from local wildfires has been observed across the advisory area Tuesday morning. Smoke will gradually decrease on Tuesday, with the slowest improvement expected in El Paso and Pueblo counties, including the Colorado Springs and Pueblo metro areas.


Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke

Issued for Grand, Clear Creek, and Gilpin counties
Issued at 9:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, October 6, 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: 9:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, October 6, 2020 to 9:00 AM MDT, Wednesday, October 7, 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: Areas of moderate to heavy smoke have been observed near the Williams Fork wildfire located in Grand County. Smoke will gradually decrease Tuesday morning as atmospheric mixing increases. By Tuesday afternoon the wind at the fire will be out of a west to northwesterly direction, sending smoke to locations east and southeast of the fire including Empire, Georgetown 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 possibly into the Parshall area, along with valley locations east and southeast of the fire in Clear Creek and Gilpin counties.

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