Where's the smoke?

After a very smoky July, August has been relatively clear. There are two reasons for the clear skies and clean air this week.

First, the local fires are under control- the Alexander Mountain and Bucktail Fires are fully contained.

Second, upper-level winds are steering smoke east of Colorado. A ridge of high pressure is situated over the western United States, so when smoke from the large wildfires in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Canada lofts into the atmosphere, it rides the ridge up and around Colorado, and into the Midwest. While our neighbors to the north and east are experiencing smoke, Colorado can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Of course, the situation can change quickly if new fires spark. Stay tuned for updates.

An upper-level ridge is situated over Colorado. Image courtesy of NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

EPA's Fire and Smoke Map shows smoke over much of the Midwest, but Colorado is in the clear.