Smoke, haze from out-of-state wildfires lingers over Fort Collins Tuesday

Smoke from out-of-state wildfires will continue to cause hazy skies and poor air quality in Fort Collins on Tuesday and into Wednesday.

Fort Collins remains under a "medium density" smoke cloud Tuesday, according to a wildfire and smoke map , with several large fires burning in the west. The smoke is largely coming from wildfires in Canada and the Pacific Northwest, the Colorado Department of Health and Environment said Tuesday.

Similar conditions were present Monday and are expected to continue throughout the week.

Tuesday's "warm and stagnant weather combined with increasing amounts of out-of-state wildfire smoke,” will cause poor air quality for most large cities east of the Continental Divide, according to the National Weather Service.

As the smoke is blown across the state, the heaviest smoke and highest air quality impacts will be in northeastern Colorado, in areas including Fort Morgan and Julesburg. Air quality will also be worse along the Front Range foothills, particularly in the Interstate 25 corridor between Fort Collins and Pueblo.

Fort Collins air quality was "moderate" as of midday Tuesday, according to the state health department. Air quality forecasts shows that conditions could worsen to "unhealthy for sensitive groups" later Tuesday and into Wednesday.

The state health department issued an air quality alert for Larimer, Weld, Boulder and Denver metro area counties Tuesday , asking people to limit their driving of gas- and diesel-powered vehicles to lessen the impacts on air quality. They've also recommended people with heart or lung disease, older adults and children limit their time outside. It's recommended everyone reduce their time outside as much as possible, and if you have to be outside make sure to take frequent breaks.

Air quality in areas west of the Continental Divide is expected to improve Tuesday, but particle pollution levels will still be elevated. Smoke may also worsen on the Western Slope on Wednesday as winds could blow in more smoke from wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.

There is a small chance of rain Tuesday afternoon, but only in higher elevations, according to the National Weather Service.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Smoke, haze from out-of-state wildfires lingers over Fort Collins Tuesday