Fires burning in Washington, Oregon and Canada
Wildfires burning in the Pacific Northwest were causing hazy skies Wednesday in Southwest Colorado. (Courtesy of Durango Live Cam)
The hazy skies that rolled into Durango earlier this week is coming from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest, according to the National Weather Service in Grand Junction.
The haze enveloped much of the Western Slope, courtesy of a high-pressure system that carried smoke in from Oregon, Washington and Canada.
The air quality index remained under 100 as of Wednesday, which the state of Colorado classifies as “good” to “moderate.”
The National Weather Service expects the smoke to dissipate by Friday.
According to statistics from the National Interagency Fire Center, the 3.6 million acres that have burned so far in 2024 is slightly over the 10-year average of 3.2 million acres for this time of year.
