Smoke drifting from fires in Canada and the northern United States has clouded Denver skies and blocked the Rocky Mountains from view across most of the metro. In a report Tuesday, July 23, Denver air quality was the worst in the United States and eighth-worst in the world, behind Mumbai and Wuhan.
A 10 a.m. weather advisory brief from the NWS says residents in the Denver area should expect "multiple pollutants" in the air through 4 p.m. today, July 24.
"Warm and stagnant weather combined with increasing amounts of out-of-state wildfire smoke will result in ozone and fine particulate matter concentrations to possibly reach unhealthy levels for air quality for both Tuesday and Wednesday," the advisory reads. "People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children should avoid prolonged or heavy exertion and limit time outdoors; everyone else should reduce prolonged or heavy exertion and, while outside, take more breaks."
However, a tweet from NWS's office for Boulder and Denver shows that "thicker" smoke will linger around today with chances "some" thining on Thursday. But anyone waiting to walk around the block and take a gulp of clean Colorado air will probably have to wait until Friday at the earliest, NWS Boulder predicts.
Latest smoke forecast...Thicker smoke hangs around today, then "some" thinning hopeful for Thursday as seen in the animation.
— NWS Boulder (@NWSBoulder) July 24, 2024
Better conditions still expected by Friday. #COwx pic.twitter.com/zucJJoSAH6
