Air Quality Health Advisory for Wildfire Smoke
Issued for Routt, Eagle, Jackson, Grand, Summit, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Pitkin, Lake, Park, northern Mesa, central and eastern Garfield and eastern Rio Blanco counties
Issued at 9:00 AM MDT, Friday, August 14, 2020
Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Affected Area: Routt, Eagle, Jackson, Grand, Summit, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Pitkin, Lake, Park, northern Mesa, central and eastern Garfield, and eastern Rio Blanco counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Steamboat Springs, Oak Creek, Hayden, Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Eagle, Avon, Vail, Walden, Kremmling, Granby, Georgetown, Central City, Aspen, Leadville, Fairplay, Grand Junction, Palisade, De Beque, Parachute, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, and Meeker.
Advisory in Effect: 9:00 AM MDT, Friday, August 14, 2020 to 9:00 AM MDT, Saturday, August 15, 2020.
Public Health Recommendations: If smoke is thick or becomes thick in your neighborhood you may want to remain indoors. This is especially true for those with heart disease, respiratory illnesses, the very young, and the elderly. Consider limiting outdoor activity when moderate to heavy smoke is present. Consider relocating temporarily if smoke is present indoors and is making you ill. If visibility is less than 5 miles in smoke in your neighborhood, smoke has reached levels that are unhealthy.
Outlook: Widespread heavy smoke has been observed across large sections of northern, central, and western Colorado due to the Pine Gulch and Grizzly Creek wildfires. Smoke will gradually diminish Friday morning as atmospheric mixing increases, with the slowest improvement occurring in valley locations. By Friday afternoon the wind at the fires will be out of a west to northwest direction. This will bring periods of moderate to heavy smoke for areas to the east and southeast of both wildfires, possibly including locations as far away as the Continental Divide. By late Friday evening smoke will begin to drain into lower lying areas surrounding both fires. This will bring longer duration, heavy smoke through early Saturday morning to several drainages near the Pine Gulch wildfire including into the De Beque and Grand Junction areas. Meanwhile, heavy overnight smoke from the Grizzly Creek wildfire will impact locations along Interstate 70 in central and eastern Garfield County.
For the latest Smoke Outlook click HERE
For more information about smoke and your health, click HERE
For the latest Colorado statewide air quality conditions, forecasts, and advisories, click HERE