CDPHE - Colorado.gov/AirQuality

Affected Area: Rio Grande, Alamosa, Costilla, Conejos and Saguache Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Del Norte, South Fork, Alamosa, San Luis, Conejos and Saguache.

Advisory in Effect: 12:00 PM MDT, Thursday, April 17, 2025 to 6:00 PM MDT, Thursday, April 17, 2025

Public Health Recommendations: If significant blowing dust is present and reducing visibility to less than 10 miles across a wide area, People with heart or lung disease, older adults, and children in the affected area should reduce prolonged or heavy indoor and outdoor exertion.

Outlook: Strong winds are producing blowing dust in the San Luis Valley. Dust is expected to decrease Thursday evening as winds subside.

For the latest Colorado statewide air quality conditions, forecasts, and advisories, visit: https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx

Air Quality Health Advisory for Blowing Dust

Avisos en Español para todo el Estado (Colorado)

Issued for Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Cheyenne, southeastern El Paso, Fremont, Kiowa, Pueblo, Custer, Prowers, Otero and Huerfano Counties
Issued at 3:34 PM MDT, Thursday, April 17, 2025

Issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

Affected Area: Elbert, Kit Carson, Lincoln, Cheyenne, El Paso, Fremont, Kiowa, Pueblo, Custer, Prowers, Otero and Huerfano Counties. Locations include, but are not limited to Kiowa, Burlington, Limon, Cheyenne Wells, Canon City, Eads, Pueblo, Westcliffe, Lamar, La Junta and Walsenburg.

Advisory in Effect: 3:00 PM MDT, Thursday, April 17, 2025 to 9:00 PM MDT, Thursday, April 17, 2025

Outlook: Strong winds are producing blowing dust in southeast Colorado. Dust is expected to decrease Thursday night as winds subside.

For the latest Colorado statewide air quality conditions, forecasts, and advisories, visit: https://www.colorado.gov/airquality/colorado_summary.aspx

Additional Information

ACTION DAYS: An Action Day for fine particulate matter (particulates), carbon monoxide, ozone or other pollutants indicates that either current air quality is unhealthy or conditions are expected to worsen later in the day or on the next day. Action Days for air pollutants generally indicate that air quality will be in either the Unhealthy or Unhealthy-for-Sensitive-Groups categories according to the Air Quality Index. Action Days trigger voluntary pollution prevention measures, which may vary by season, and public health recommendations.

The AIR QUALITY INDEX reports the daily level of air pollution on an hourly basis. The index reports the highest level of either carbon monoxide, fine particulates or ozone depending on which pollutant has the greatest hourly concentration. Values greater than 100 for carbon monoxide, fine particulates and ozone indicate exceedances of the pollutant's state and federal standards. Air Quality Index values between 0-50 are good, 51-100 moderate, 101-150 unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151-200 unhealthy, 201-300 very unhealthy, and over 300 hazardous.

COLORADO OPEN BURN FORECAST: For those with permits for Open Burning, that is burning of waste materials or vegetation outside, check the following webpage to find out if open burning is allowed today:
http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/burn_forecast.aspx

FOR CURRENT AIR QUALITY INFORMATION AND UPDATES:
http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/advisory.aspx
http://www.colorado.gov/airquality/air_quality.aspx

ABOUT THE AIR QUALITY INDEX:
https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/

SOCIAL MEDIA AND AIR QUALITY NOTIFICATIONS:
http://www.facebook.com/cdphe.apcd
http://twitter.com/#!/cdpheapcd
http://www.enviroflash.info/signup.cfm