Smoke blankets western Colorado Wednesday morning

An Air Quality Health Advisory will remain in effect for large portions of western Colorado on Wednesday. The advisory coverage area will change slightly from yesterday with a little push northward. A few areas to the south, such as Pagosa Springs, will be removed from the advisory. Meanwhile further to the north, places like Aspen, Eagle, and Meeker have been added. Please click the link above for a detailed description of the entire advisory area.  

Fine particulate levels, also known as PM2.5, are highly elevated this morning for many areas in western Colorado. Some of the heaviest smoke can be found in valley locations, including Grand Junction, Delta and Montrose. 

EPA's Fire and Smoke Map shows heavy smoke (red dots) in the valleys of western Colorado

Heavy smoke at Grand Junction Regional Airport. Webcam image courtesy of weathercams.faa.gov

Smoke levels are going to vary widely across western Colorado today and they could rapidly change with very little warning. The source of the smoke, wildfires burning in Utah and Nevada, could see chaotic weather conditions today that include strong thunderstorms. So it is difficult to anticipate exactly how the fires are going to behave and what type of smoke production to expect. Closer to home, there could also be some shower and thunderstorm development over the advisory area. This could push smoke in nearly any direction. 

So the big takeaway is -- expect the unexpected today in western Colorado and be prepared to protect your health from wildfire smoke.