Haze From Western Wildfires Limits Front Range Visibility
DENVER (CBS4) - Wildfires out west are leading to unusually low visibility in the Denver area, and a Wildfire Smoke Health Advisory for most of Colorado west of the Continental Divide.
"I'm having a tough time seeing the mountains from my office," CBS4 forecaster Lauren Whitney said Thursday morning from the CBS4 studios. "I usually have a clear view."
Colorado's extra hazy, smoky skies have been created by a surge in the fire activity over the west coast and in particular Washington state, according to CBS4 meteorologist Dave Aguilera.
"The current westerly wind flow pattern is bringing that smoke right into Colorado," Aguilera said. "The westerly winds will also, be bringing in warmer temperatures Thursday and Friday."
The country's west coast is still locked in a record setting drought and there have been hundreds of wildfires ignited over the last several weeks.
"In the short term, The Pacific northwest right into Wyoming will be particularly susceptible to more fires breaking out Thursday and Friday as strong northwest winds and 5 to 15 percent humidity levels are taking over," Aguilera said. "The current weather pattern over Colorado will not change until the weekend when a cold front will push through and slow down the smoke from traveling into the state.
"This will be short-lived however, as another westerly push and hot temperatures return on Monday to start next week."
At 10 A.M., the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Issued a Wildfire Smoke Health Advisory for locations to the west of the Continental Divide below 9000 feet in northwest and west-central Colorado.
The affected area includes the cities of Grand Junction, Delta, Montrose, Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Eagle, Aspen, Gunnison, Hot Sulphur Springs, Walden, Steamboat Springs, Craig and Meeker, plus surrounding areas.
The following images of smoke in the air on the Western Slope were captured late Thursday morning:
The health advisory does not apply to the Front Range, at least not yet. Christopher Dann, air pollution expert at the CDPHE, says.
His office is monitoring all the smoke and says "circumstances west of the divide are much more acute. Aspen, Grand Junction and other areas are getting hit pretty hard."
