Wildfire smoke spreads across Colorado, impacting air quality and causing hazy skies

Coloradans experiencing itchy eyes or sneezing on this Thursday are likely due to the thick haze over Denver and the entire state. Colorado has experienced a huge influx of wildfire smoke from large fires in Arizona and Utah. 

There are almost 150-thousand acres burning in Arizona's Dragon Bravo fire and Utah's Monroe Canyon Fire. 

Winds over the Central Rockies shifted from northwest on Wednesday to a more southwesterly direction on Thursday, transporting smoke across nearly every part of our home state as we get closer to the weekend.

Denver and the Front Range have a double whammy for poor air quality going into Friday. 

Number one is the wildfire smoke, and number two is higher ozone levels expected. Ozone concentrations in the Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups category will be most likely from the western suburbs of Denver, northward along the foothills and the I-25 urban corridor to the Fort Collins area.

 Active children and adults, and people with lung disease, such as asthma, should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion.