June Means Unwanted Gas Will Soon Form Along Colorado's Front Range

DENVER (CBS4) - The arrival of June means summer heat and occasional problems with air quality in the weeks ahead.

Some days between Memorial Day and Labor Day can bring an unwanted gas called ozone, sometimes in moderate to high concentrations, to areas between Denver, Colorado Springs, Greeley and Fort Collins.

We're not talking about the 'good' ozone that forms naturally and can be found high in the stratosphere, protecting us from the sun's harmful rays.

This is a 'bad' ozone and it is man-made, forming near the ground on hot summer days.

I-70 and ward traffic — A heavy traffic build up on I-70 and Ward Road in metro Denver. (credit: CBS)

HOW 'BAD' OZONE FORMS

'Bad' ozone forms as pollution such as car exhaust, factory smoke and fumes from gasoline, paint or stain, react with sunlight and heat. These pollutants essentially 'cook' near the ground and form a gas called ozone.

Ozone has no color, taste or smell but it affects every person breathing the polluted air.

Children, older adults and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma are impacted the most.

High concentrations of ground-level ozone can make breathing difficult. It can also cause eye irritation and a reduced resistance that leads to things like lung infections and colds.

13241386_10100663577343203_1882604956963176270_n — Projects such as staining a fence in summertime heat can pollute the air and lead to the formation of ground-level ozone along the Front Range. (credit: Meteorologist Chris Spears)

HELP REDUCE SUMMERTIME OZONE

Ozone forms on hot days, generally when the temperature exceeds 85°F, with little to no wind to mix the atmosphere.

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment monitors air quality along the Front Range with several monitors and will issue Ozone Action Day alerts when levels are expected to be high.

There are several things you can do to help reduce the pollution that leads to the formation of ground-level ozone.

tightly cap paints, stains, degreasers, etc. to prevent pollution-causing vapors from escaping into the air

postpone painting, stripping and refinishing projects to avoid the morning and mid-day summertime heat; better yet, wait until the fall or spring when its cooler

use water-based products (paints, stains and sealants)

garage-paint-storage — A garage full of household items such as paints, stains and solvents can be a source of air pollution. (credit: mosereport.com)

delay mowing your lawn on Ozone Action Alert days, especially if using gas-powered equipment

use an electric starter or a "charcoal chimney" to start BBQ grills because lighter fluid contains a lot of harmful vapors that escape and contribute to summertime air pollution

Dominic Garcia helps his father mow the lawn. (credit: CBS)

stop at the click when refueling your car because overfilling your tank often results in fuel spills and always allows unnecessary pollution-causing vapors to escape into our air

refuel in the evenings after dusk so fuel vapors do not have as much of a chance to "cook" in the mid-day sun and become harmful ground-level ozone

maintain your vehicle; a poorly-maintained vehicle can pollute as much as 25 times more than a well-maintained one

To learn more about ozone and how to take care of our summer air click here.

Meteorologist Chris Spears writes about stories related to weather and climate in Colorado. Check out his bio, connect with him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter @ChrisCBS4.

Featured Local Savings

More from CBS News

"Curiosity Cruiser" is a museum on wheels for kids in Colorado

Denver's average last freeze is still weeks away

Colorado man saves woman and baby from fiery wreck

Over a foot of snow and high winds possible across portions of Colorado