DENVER — Officials are again warning that wildfire smoke wafting from Canada could affect air quality in Colorado.
High winds could contribute to an increase in upper-level smoke in northeastern Colorado on Sunday, primarily from the Canadian wildfires, according to the National Weather Service.
National Weather Service meteorologist Zach Hillis said the haze is likely to persist for some time due to current weather conditions.
“Typically, when we have this kind of hot weather with breezy weather, there really isn't any way to get some of these pollutants out. That's when we tend to see air quality alert days,” Hillis said.
The Denver metro area is already under an Ozone Action Day alert due to air quality concerns, and upper-level smoke is expected to only increase pollution levels. The alert will remain in effect until midnight.
CDPHE
Wildfire smoke from our northern neighbor darkened Colorado skies multiple times last year, prompting numerous air quality alerts throughout the summer. However, Hillis said the National Weather Service does not expect significant damage from the intrusion.
“In terms of air quality from the smoke itself, it doesn't appear that there will be much of a problem over the next few days,” he said.
Fires in the Pacific Northwest are also affecting the state's air quality. Smoke from those fires increased particulate pollution in much of the state over the weekend.
Cooler temperatures with clouds and showers will keep ozone levels in the good to moderate range in Denver on Sunday, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Cooler weekend: Scattered storms and temperatures in the 80s on Saturday, cooler weather with widespread rain on Sunday
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