Front Range Ozone Action Day Alert Until midnight 06/22/2021

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Regional Air Quality Council have issued an OZONE ACTION DAY ALERT at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, June 22, 2021 for the Front Range Urban Corridor from Douglas County north to Larimer and Weld counties, including the Denver-Boulder area, Fort Collins and Greeley.

Ozone concentrations in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category on Tuesday will be confined to southern and western portions of the Denver metro area, including Highlands Ranch and Golden. Ozone should improve to the Good to Moderate range for Wednesday.

This Ozone Action Day Alert will remain in effect until midnight, Tuesday night, June 22, 2021.

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

The highest Ozone related AQI at 5 o'clock PM Mountain Standard Time on June 22, 2021, is 112 which indicates Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups ozone air quality. It was recorded by the CHAT ambient ozone monitor. Increasing likelihood of respiratory symptoms and breathing discomfort in active children and adults and people with lung disease, such as asthma. Active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.

The highest Particulate Matter (PM2.5) related AQI at 5 o'clock PM Mountain Standard Time on June 22, 2021, is 50 which indicates Good Particulate Matter (PM2.5) air quality. It was recorded by the CHAT ambient monitor.

Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook

FRONT RANGE AIR QUALITY FORECAST:
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 2:15 PM MDT

Ozone concentrations are expected to be in the Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range on Tuesday and the Good to Moderate range on Wednesday.

-- On Tuesday, ozone concentrations in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category will be confined to southern and western portions of the Denver metro area, including Highlands Ranch and Golden. In these areas, active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion until 8 pm Tuesday evening. Elsewhere around the Front Range region, unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion until 10 pm Tuesday evening.

-- On Wednesday, moderate concentrations of ozone are possible throughout the Front Range region. Please see Fine Particulate Matter below for health recommendations for Wednesday.

Fine Particulate Matter concentrations are expected to be in the Good to Moderate range on Tuesday and Wednesday. Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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

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

Visibility in Denver on Wednesday is expected to be Moderate to Poor.

COLORADO SMOKE OUTLOOK:
Tuesday, June 22, 2021, 2:15 PM MDT

Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke

Issued for southern portions of Routt County
Issued at 3:30 PM MDT, Tuesday, June 22, 2021

Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Affected Area: southern portions of Routt County. Locations include, but are not limited to Yampa and Toponas.

Advisory in Effect: 3:30 PM MDT, Tuesday, June 22, 2021 to 9:00 AM MDT, Wednesday, June 23, 2021.

Outlook: Moderate to heavy smoke from the Muddy Slide wildfire will move to the east and southeast of the fire through Tuesday evening, and mostly remain aloft which will minimize public health impacts. However, by late Tuesday evening smoke will begin to settle and drain downslope towards populated areas. This will bring the possibility for periods of moderate to heavy smoke to Yampa and Toponas through early Wednesday morning.

The 3300 acre West wildfire is located in northwestern Moffat County near the Colorado/Wyoming state line. Westerly winds at the fire could send smoke across northern Moffat and into Routt and Jackson Counties through Tuesday evening, possibly bringing periods of mainly light to moderate smoke to Craig, Steamboat Springs, and Walden. Overnight smoke will generally stay in close vicinity to the fire through Wednesday morning.

The 7183 acre Oil Springs wildfire is located in southwestern Rio Blanco County. Smoke from the fire will be transported east and northeast of the fire through Tuesday evening, perhaps bringing periods of light to moderate smoke to Meeker and White River City. Overnight smoke will likely drain into the North Fork Texas Creek drainage and remain away from populated areas.

The 2630 acre Sylvan wildfire is located in southern Eagle County 12 miles south of Eagle and just to the west-southwest of Sylvan Lake State Park. West to northwest winds at the fire will send smoke to the east and southeast through Tuesday evening, perhaps bringing periods of light to moderate smoke to Silverthorne, Breckenridge, Fairplay, and Leadville. Overnight smoke will likely drain into Sylvan Lake State Park and Gypsum Creek.

The 70 acre Wild Cow wildfire is located in western Garfield County approximately 30 miles northwest of Grand Junction. West to southwest winds at the fire will push smoke to the east and northeast, with smoke mainly impacting unpopulated areas of Garfield and Rio Blanco Counties through Tuesday evening. Overnight smoke will remain in drainages close to the fire, including Coal, Spring and Long Canyons through Wednesday morning.

Generally hazy skies and light to moderate concentrations of smoke can be expected statewide on Tuesday and Wednesday due to smoke transported from both in-state and out-of-state wildfires. Throughout Colorado, unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion on Tuesday and Wednesday.

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.

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)


www.airnow.gov/