Front Range Ozone Action Day Alert Until at least 4 p.m. 07/13/2021

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 Monday, July 12, 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.

Very warm and stagnant weather conditions combined with abundant wildfire smoke in the atmosphere will result in ozone concentrations reaching the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category Tuesday afternoon and evening.

This Ozone Action Day Alert will remain in effect until at least 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 13, 2021.

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

The highest Ozone related AQI at 8 o'clock AM Mountain Standard Time on July 13, 2021, is 90 which indicates Moderate ozone air quality. It was recorded by the RFN ambient ozone monitor. Unusually sensitive individuals may experience respiratory symptoms. Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.

The highest Particulate Matter (PM2.5) related AQI at 8 o'clock AM Mountain Standard Time on July 13, 2021, is 79 which indicates Moderate Particulate Matter (PM2.5) air quality. It was recorded by the LNGM ambient monitor. Respiratory symptoms possible in unusually sensitive individuals, possible aggravation of heart or lung disease in people with cardiopulmonary disease and older adults. Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion.

Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook

FRONT RANGE AIR QUALITY FORECAST:
Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 7:10 AM MDT

Ozone concentrations are expected to be in the Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range on Tuesday. Concentration of ozone in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category are expected in many areas of the northern Front Range region including the Denver Metro area, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley, and surrounding areas including the local foothills west of the I-25 corridor. In these areas, active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion on Tuesday.

Fine Particulate Matter concentrations are expected to be in the Moderate category on Tuesday due to the transport of smoke from in-state and out-of-state wildfires. Unusually sensitive people should consider reducing 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.

COLORADO SMOKE OUTLOOK:
Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 8:00 AM MDT

Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke

Issued for large portions of northern and central Colorado
Issued at 8:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Affected Area: Routt, Jackson, Grand, Garfield, Eagle, Summit, Mesa, Pitkin, Lake, Delta, Montrose, and Gunnison Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Glen Eden, Clark, Steamboat Springs, Kremmling, Granby, Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Breckenridge, Grand Junction, Aspen, Leadville, Delta, Montrose and Gunnison.

Advisory in Effect: 8:00 AM MDT, Tuesday, July 13, 2021 to 9:00 AM MDT, Wednesday, July 14, 2021.

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 Tuesday morning across the advisory area, particularly for northern Routt County in close vicinity to the Morgan Creek wildfire. Gradual improvement is expected late morning into Tuesday afternoon as atmospheric mixing increases and shower and thunderstorm development is expected across large parts of the advisory area. By late Tuesday evening heavy smoke should mainly be confined to lower elevations surrounding the Morgan Creek wildfire, with generally isolated pockets of heavy smoke elsewhere across the advisory area. Near the fire, periods of heavy smoke will remain possible for areas along Morgan and Reed Creeks, the Elk River Valley, and the communities of Glen Eden and Clark Tuesday night through early Wednesday morning. Note: Even though smoke is expected to decrease for many areas Tuesday afternoon and evening, the public health recommendations should continue to be followed throughout the advisory area due to the lingering health impacts of long-term exposure to smoke.

Smoke from out-of-state wildfires will continue to impact Colorado on Tuesday. However, increasing showers and thunderstorms along with a shift in the upper level winds should bring some improvement, particularly across the western half of the state. For areas not covered by the above advisory, unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion on Monday and Tuesday.

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.

Summer Ozone Program
Ground-level ozone is an air pollution problem that impacts the health of all Coloradans. Exposure can cause acute respiratory problems and trigger asthma attacks. During Ozone Action Alerts, avoid rigorous outdoor activity during the heat of the day. Prolonged exposure can cause long-lasting damage to your lungs.

You CAN make a difference by doing your part to improve air quality along Denver's Front Range. Combining or skipping just two car trips a week has a positive impact on our air quality. Find other easy solutions that fit your lifestyle from Simple Steps. Better Air. ( www.SimpleStepsBetterAir.org ), a program of the Regional Air Quality Council.

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)

The blue dot is our area: fire.airnow.gov/


NOAA HRRR-Smoke Map: hwp-viz.gsd.esrl.noaa.gov/smoke/index.html#