The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Regional Air Quality Council have issued an OZONE ACTION DAY ALERT at 4 p.m. on Friday, August 12, 2016 for the Front Range Urban Corridor from El Paso County north to Larimer and Weld counties, including the Denver-Boulder area, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins and Greeley.
Plenty of sunshine with favorable winds will result in ozone concentrations occasionally reaching the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category on Friday and Saturday. For additional details please refer to the Front Range Air Quality Forecast below.
This Ozone Action Day Alert will remain in effect until at least 4 p.m. Saturday, August 13, 2016.
For statewide conditions, forecasts and advisories, visit:
http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx
The highest Ozone related AQI at 1 o’clock PM Mountain Standard Time on August 12, 2016, is 49 which indicates Good ozone air quality. It was recorded by the RFN ambient ozone monitor.
The highest Particulate Matter (PM2.5) related AQI at 1 o’clock PM Mountain Standard Time on August 12, 2016, is 39 which indicates Good Particulate Matter (PM2.5) air quality. It was recorded by the LNGM ambient monitor.
Front Range Air Quality Forecast & Colorado Smoke Outlook
FRONT RANGE AIR QUALITY FORECAST:
Friday, August 11, 2016, 2:10 PM MDT
Ozone concentrations are expected to be in the Moderate to Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups range on Friday and Saturday. Ozone concentrations in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category are most likely on Friday for the south and west suburbs of Denver, but on Saturday that area could expand to include the northwest suburbs of Denver northward to Ft. Collins, including the nearby foothills. Active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion in those areas from 1 PM until 9 PM on Friday and Saturday.
Fine Particulate Matter concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Friday and Saturday.
Carbon Monoxide concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Friday and Saturday.
Nitrogen Dioxide concentrations are expected to be in the Good category on Friday and Saturday.
Visibility is expected to be Moderate to Poor on Saturday.
COLORADO SMOKE OUTLOOK:
Friday, August 12, 2016, 2:15 PM MDT
SMOKE FROM WILDFIRES:
The 35,645 acre Beaver Creek Wildfire is located in northwestern Jackson County approximately 24 miles northwest of Walden. The wind at the fire on Thursday will mainly be out of a west to northwesterly direction. This would tend to send smoke to locations east and southeast of the fire, perhaps bringing some occasional smoke to the community of Cowdrey. Light winds are expected at the fire late Friday night and drainage flow will likely pool smoke to northern parts of North Park into Saturday morning. This would mainly include the area to the north of the community of Cowdrey to the Wyoming state line.
The 16,754 acre Hayden Pass Wildfire is located in western Fremont County approximately 20 miles southeast of Salida. The wind near the fire on Friday will be variable in direction with isolated showers and thunderstorms possible during the afternoon. With these type of erratic winds, smoke could be sent in any direction. Light winds are expected late Friday night and Saturday morning. This will allow smoke to drain towards the Arkansas River, likely impacting Coaldale and Cotopaxi with periods of moderate to possibly heavy smoke. Lighter smoke will be possible in locations such as Howard, Texas Creek, Hillside and possibly into northern parts of Custer County as far south as Westcliffe.