Light to moderate smoke will linger in Colorado on Friday with gradual clearing, 9/13/24

Smoke from wildfires in the western U.S. has made its way into Colorado, but thankfully, concentrations seen across the state have remained fairly tolerable. Fine particulate monitors throughout the state show good to moderate air quality, with much of the residual smoke being seen in the central mountains and along the Front Range. 

Map of fine particulates (smoke) from fire.airnow.gov shows good to moderate air quality around the state of Colorado on Friday morning.

These conditions are likely to persist throughout the day on Friday due to a bit less wind, and atmospheric mixing that is slow to get going in the cooler air mass that has settled in. The good news is that as this air mass moves out, upper level winds will shift and limit the transport of additional smoke into our area. We expect hazy skies on Friday, with generally good to moderate air quality to remain in the current trend.

While significant public health impacts appear unlikely, those who have preexisting health conditions like asthma and COPD, and those who are sensitive to fine particulates (smoke) should continue to stay aware of the conditions in their area and consider health precautions to decrease the likelihood of adverse health effects.