COLORADO SPRINGS — Did you see the haze covering Pikes Peak on your way to work or smell smoke in the air? Strong winds are blowing smoke from two fires into the Front Range today.
Jet stream and surface winds are blowing out of the southwest and west today, pushing smoke from both the Decker and Cow Creek fires into the Front Range. The reason the smoke is more visible in Colorado Springs is simply that the mountains are closer to town, and the smoke has something to stand out against.
While the Decker Fire is much bigger than the Cow Creek, both are blowing enough smoke out east into the interstate that a smokey smell is present in the air. If you or someone you know has lung issues or is sensitive to lower air quality, try and limit your time outside today.
A cold front and a switch in the jet stream winds will help provide relief from the smoke later today and tonight. The cold front will bring the winds out of the north here across soutehrn Colorado, and the jet stream will push the smoke farther south through the evening.
