A wave of severe ozone pollution is sweeping over the West and Southwest, prompting air quality advisories ranging from Colorado’s Front Range to Arizona’s deserts and West Texas. The National Weather Service (NWS) is alerting thousands of households that the air outside is not just cloudy, but also potentially hazardous, and is encouraging anyone impacted to stay indoors until it clears.
Where the Air Quality Alerts Are Hitting
Colorado has issued the most comprehensive alarm, with an “Ozone Action Day” covering the densely populated Front Range Urban Corridor. This covers Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, Greeley, and the bordering counties of Jefferson, Adams, Arapahoe, Larimer, Weld, Douglas, and Broomfield. This is the state’s population spine, and it’s now under a cloud of hazardous air.
Texas officials have issued an alert for El Paso, which includes downtown, Fort Bliss, and the neighboring neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, in Arizona, air quality alerts are focused on Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix and its huge metropolitan region.
Why Is The Air So Bad Right Now?
This is not wildfire smoke; it is ground-level ozone, a pollutant produced when sunlight combines with emissions from automobiles, industry, and other sources.
The ideal weather conditions are hot and sunny. With light winds and stagnant air, the contaminants essentially bake in situ. That is exactly what is happening this week around the region.
Because of traffic congestion and infrastructure, urban regions are disproportionately affected, which is why cities such as Denver, Phoenix, and El Paso are suffering the most.
When It’s Expected to Improve
- In Colorado, the air quality alert remains in place through Tuesday until around 4 p.m.
- In Texas, specifically the El Paso region, the alerts are in effect from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday
- Alerts for Arizona and the Phoenix area are expected to continue throughout all of Tuesday
Relief usually occurs when weather patterns change—stronger winds, colder temperatures, or arriving systems that disperse pollution. Until then, conditions may persist or deteriorate throughout the hottest hours of the day.
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