This week’s record-setting temperatures are being paired with wildfire smoke that has drifted into Colorado from Utah and Arizona, which led the state public health department to issue an Ozone Action Day Alert through the afternoon hours for the Front Range and parts of the mountains.
The smoke from the fires has cast a light haze across Colorado since Tuesday and is more noticeable in the western parts of the state, though it was quite visible along the Front Range Thursday morning and into the afternoon as well.
There is also a fire between Craig and Meeker that has already burned more than 400 acres. Stage 1 fire restrictions go into effect across much of western Colorado this week amid temperatures far above normal for this time of year, extreme drought, and dry lightning and wind.
We should get some relief from the heat and haze with cold front moving through early Friday, with some cooler temperatures and precipitation in the forecast for the weekend and early next week, which should alleviate some of the smoke being ushered across the state.
