Did the smell of smoke smack you in the face this morning? That's smoke from Canada's wildfires , which we have discussed previously, in western areas which have not only been dry but also experiencing record heat. > Wildfire smoke this morning in Calgary -> https://t.co/2ecJN8P7U9 — Matt Makens (@MattMakens) May 16, 2023 [https://twitter.com/MattMakens/status/1658533095220613121?ref_src=twsrc%5E

If you've looked at the horizon Monday you have seen the haze in the air. This is mostly smoke arriving from the Pipeline Fire near Flagstaff, AZ . The smoke likely gets thicker this afternoon with some relief with a wind shift to come Tuesday. > Some of you have asked about the smoky sky this morning. That smoke alof

The upcoming chance of snow cannot arrive fast enough. Several metro area cities have been evacuated, as winds to 100 mph have pushed fires through Superior and Louisville this afternoon, and continues to burn out of control. We have been posting updates all afternoon, and as is always the case in these situations – please follow the latest from your local community authorities and first responders. Town of Superior, Colorado evacuated as fast moving fire wreaks havoc across Northwest Denver s

I got a little excited about snow on Friday. You all need to help remind me not to do that this winter! Let's check in on the two systems we've been tracking for some time now. The first "system" continues to look quite dry. Its biggest impact will be high winds across the northeast plains, and ultimately some temperatures more closely resembling December. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect through the afternoon for the plains, and late tonight for the Front Range foothills. The fire dang

We can't seem to catch a break this summer, as we reside yet another day under an Air Quality Alert across much of the state of Colorado. Despite high hopes for smoke-filled skies to clear out for the weekend, it appears at least Saturday will remind quite smoky around here. Denver’s summer of poor air quality continues, wildfire smoke is only part of the issueToday marks yet another day where an Air Quality Alert is in place along the urban corridor and much of Eastern Colorado. It’s been an

Today marks yet another day where an Air Quality Alert is in place along the urban corridor and much of Eastern Colorado. It's been an exceptionally smoggy summer, reminding many Denverites of the infamous brown cloud of the 1990s . While the driving forces behind this summer's poor air quality may be different than decades past, the health concerns remain. The following health warning from officials has b

It had been a brutal summer. After a dreadful snowpack season, the heat and dryness came on quickly. The U.S. Drought Monitor showed the state with widespread D2 and D3 drought. Watering restrictions were put in place. And then the big fire started. The governor at the time famously told reporters that "it looks as if all of Colorado is burning today." I had recently graduated with my Bachelor's Degree in Meteorology from Metro State University of Denver. I remember a day when the sun looked lik

I get the impression the atmosphere has just about had it with 2020, much like the rest of us. Nationally, this will be a week of extreme weather – from two tropical cyclones likely to make landfall along the Gulf Coast, to record heat and enormous wildfires across the west. You likely noticed an increase in smoke in the sky yesterday. This was the arrival of additional smoke from fires in California, coupling with those that continue to burn out of control across Colorado. Most of the state,

The state of the atmosphere is smoky. Since our update late last week conditions have only worsened across Colorado, with several new forest fires taking full advantage of ripe conditions and pouring smoke over the state day and night. According to the Denver Post [https://www.denverpost.com/2020/08/16/colorado-wildfires-pine-gulch-gr

I would be totally shocked to hear you say you haven't noticed the smoky sky around the Denver area this week. Since we've all noticed it, what can we do about it? Well, short of putting out the fires causing the smoke there is nothing we can do – obviously. The weather pattern will have to change to bring rain or a wind shift, and neither will happen soon enough. The map above shows all the active large fires, and clearly, the western U.S. is dealing with a lot. There are 140 fires coverin

The state of the atmosphere is hot and dry. Yesterday we posted some stats on 100 degree temperatures in Denver, shortly before DIA would go on to hit a high of 102° Sunday afternoon, setting a record for the date. Yesterday was the first time in two years the city officially logged a 100° reading, so a hot day indeed. Related: Cold Springs Fire destroys 3 homes, 0% contained [http://www.denverpost.com/2016/07/11/firefighters-

Having grown up in Colorado, the past spring and start to summer remind me of those in the 1980s and 1990s: daily storms, hail, and a few tornadoes. There are so many beautiful areas to the state after the rains, too. I've talked to other "natives" who feel the same as I do, and one mentioned the fire season always seemed to start around July 4th. I remember that also. In the 1980s and early 1990s we never really talked much about fires until nearly Independence Day. By the mid-1990s, I remembe

UPDATE: 11am 06/25/2013 Updated perimeter map below - more details to follow. UPDATE: 10am 06/24/2013 The West Fork Fire Complex remains 0% contained this morning, with another day of Critical Fire Danger in place for most of southern and western Colorado on the way. The three fires comprising of the West Fork Fire Complex have burned an estimated 75,150 acres as of Sunday night. There are 895 personnel battling the fires, with 3 type 1 helicopters, 2 type 2 helicopters, and 4 type 4 helicopter

Persistent weather pattern continues The National Weather Service confirmed today what many already suspected: June 2012 was the hottest on record for Denver. The average temperature for the month was 75 degrees, which is an impressive 7.6 degrees above normal. By the numbers... 17 The number of days Denver exceeded 90 degrees in June, tied for second most all time. 6 The number of days Denver reached the century mark, a new record for June 5 The number of consecutive days we saw 100+ deg