Wildfire smoke remains a concern for parts of western Colorado

 Hot and dry weather is doing no favors to residents in parts of western Colorado. Four wildfires will continue to pose a threat of moderate to heavy wildfire smoke to that area.  The below map from Inciweb shows the location of these four wildfires.

Location of wildfires in western Colorado and eastern Utah.  Mapping courtesy of Inciweb

  This morning's satellite image reveals some smoke across the area.  It's not overly heavy at the moment, but as the fires get more active Monday afternoon and evening there certainly could be an increase in smoke production.

Satellite imagery reveals smoke (circled in red) across parts of western Colorado and eastern Utah.  Satellite courtesy of Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA)

The upper level transport winds will be shifting today from northerly to more westerly and decrease in intensity.  This means that the threat for wildfire smoke will decrease for locations to the south and far to the east, such as Durango, Pagosa Springs, and the San Luis Valley.  The highest threat for wildfire smoke over the next 24 hours will be for locations in close proximity to each of these fires, especially those located in or near drainages below these fires.  One other area of higher concern is in Montrose and San Miguel Counties directly downwind from the Deer Creek wildfire in Utah.  This is the largest of the fires and has the highest likelihood of producing heavy smoke today.  So a special heads up around Montrose and Telluride as it is possible smoke could head your way late in the day Monday and into Monday night.

We urge you to stay up-to-date on the very latest air quality advisories at our website.  Protecting your health is crucial during wildfire smoke episodes.  You can learn how to best protect your health at our wildfire smoke and health webpage.