8/12/25 Tuesday 5 am
I am just going to rip the band-aid off. It’s not going to get any better until Friday.
I have gotten a few emails about the smoke in specific locations. No need, it’s going to be bad everywhere. If you live in the forecast area, or are visiting, and you follow me, it’s going to be smoky. Today could be worse than yesterday by the looks of it.
Lots of negativity to start with, but I will finish on a positive note, I promise!
Yesterday at the house, it was eerily smoky. The sun’s diffused light made the sunlight hitting the ground appear orange.
This morning, the situation is already worse than it was 24 hours ago, especially in Cortez. All other areas are already approaching borderline readings. The only exception so far is one little sensor near the gondola in Telluride. I don’t expect those low readings to last, but I will be looking throughout the day.
Here is the smoke dispersal forecast.
Remember these are not AQI readings the EPA uses, this scale only goes to one hundred., The AQI goes to five hundred. So, a 50 or 60 on the model scale is very uncomfortable.
And now, for some good news. Models are converging on a solution that would result in wetting rains on Friday. I don’t want to get everyones hopes up too much, but it is starting to look encouraging for sure.
Between now and then, pop-up mountain showers will be possible every afternoon. They don’t look like rain producers, mostly dry thunderstorms and gusty winds…
Hang in there; things will get better before you know it.