Smoke from out of state affecting western Colorado

The Slough Canyon Fire in eastern Utah was very active on Saturday and produced significant amounts of smoke. Initial expectations were that the majority of smoke would be carried to the north-northeast and have little effect on Colorado air quality. On Sunday morning, observations show that smoke moved into the Grand Valley and bumped PM2.5 (smoke) concentrations into the low Moderate category in Grand Junction.

Map showing the location of the Slough Canyon Fire in eastern Utah, northwest of Grand Junction, CO. Yellow dots show Moderate air quality on particulate monitors in areas of the Grand Valley. Image courtesy of EPA's Fire and Smoke Map.

Smoke may lift as atmospheric mixing increases during daytime hours, and concentrations may decrease. Smoke may also be transported to other areas of Colorado. Smoke is expected to remain pretty light, only reaching the Moderate category in the current outlook period. Hazy skies and light concentrations of smoke may be seen in Mesa, Rio Blanco, and Moffat Counties on Sunday and Monday.

We will keep a close eye on this fire and revise expectations if the situation changes.