Heavier smoke possible mid-week for Colorado

Fortunately, it appears that throughout Colorado there is no heavy smoke to be found Monday morning.  Smoke has generally been light to moderate for most areas with heavier smoke remaining well to the northwest of Colorado.  The EPA's Fire and Smoke Map shows where the heavier smoke is currently located:  northern California, southeastern Oregon, southern Idaho, and northwestern Wyoming.  That smoke is mostly coming from the very large fires burning in northern California.  The light to moderate smoke Colorado is currently experiencing has its origins mainly from fires in southern California.  Those fires are large as well, but not producing as much smoke as the fires further north in California.

Heavy particle pollution from wildfire smoke, denoted in reds and oranges, located northwest of Colorado

Regardless, there will be some smoke in the air today which could cause discomfort to some.  This is especially true for the larger metropolitan area around Denver as the wildfire smoke will mix with the regular urban pollution.  If you suffer from asthma or COPD, you may want to slow it down a bit today.  Air quality will likely worsen Monday afternoon as particle pollution levels may begin to increase in combination with the soaring temperatures during the hottest part of the day.  The National Weather Service has issued Heat Advisories today for several locations along the Front Range, including Ft. Collins, Boulder, Denver, Colorado Springs and Canon City, so please do limit your outdoor time this afternoon if possible.

The big question this week:  Will Colorado receive some of that heavier smoke to the northwest?  If so, when?  There are indications that Colorado could tap into some of that heavier smoke by Wednesday.  A weak cool front (we hesitate to say cold front as the temperatures will only drop a few degrees) could move in as early as Tuesday night and may bring some surface air in from the north and northwest.  It's quite possible that air could contain some heavier wildfire smoke for Wednesday, so we will be monitoring conditions very closely over the next few days and provide updates here as the situation continues to evolve.