Air Quality Forecast For Metro Denver: July 15

An action day alert for pollution was issued Thursday for parts of the Front Range and Eastern Plains.

Ozone concentrations are expected to range between the 'unhealthy for sensitive groups' to 'moderate' categories in south and west metro Denver, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said.

"Active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion from noon to 8 p.m. on Thursday," the agency said in its alert.

Fine particulate matter concentrations along the Front Range and Eastern Plains are expected to be in the 'good' category Thursday, and visibility will be in the 'moderate' to 'poor' categories in Denver due to smoke from the Morgan Creek wildfire.

A smoke advisory is in effect Thursday for Routt County, but some smoke has made its way into the metro Denver area this week, and unusually sensitive people should consider reducing prolonged or heavy exertion, public health officials said.

Carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide levels are expected to be in the 'good' category Thursday, health officials said.

Don’t miss the latest news updates in Denver, Boulder, Arvada, Lakewood and Littleton. Sign up for free Patch news alerts and newsletters for what you need to know daily.

Metro Denver is the 8th worst metro area in the nation for high ozone days, according to the American Lung Association's 2021 "State of the Air" report released in April.

Ozone pollution, often called smog, forms when gases that come out of tailpipes and smokestacks, among other sources, come into contact with sunlight. Ozone is "one of the most dangerous and widespread pollutants in the U.S.," the lung association said.

Ozone can damage people's airways, make their lungs more susceptible to infection and aggravate lung diseases, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

>> Read the full air quality advisory here.