Wildfire smoke and air quality alerts

Question

We have hotel reservations in Aspen in 10 days. With the wildfire smoke and air quality alerts in effect, I am considering rescheduling. Hoping not to and plan on waiting until very close to arrival date to make decsison.

For those familiar with wildfire smoke patterns, is this typical for Aspen in August? How close to arrival date would you be comfortable with to make decision on rescheduling?

Answer

This is a very thoughtful question — wildfire smoke in Aspen is an increasingly common concern, especially in late summer, and how you decide whether to reschedule depends on how much risk you're willing to manage and how flexible your plans are.

Is wildfire smoke typical in Aspen in August?

Yes — unfortunately, smoke events are increasingly common in Aspen in August. Due to hotter, drier summers and larger wildfires (both in-state and out-of-state), smoke can affect air quality in the Roaring Fork Valley even when no fire is very close by.

Aspen’s own environmental health office notes that smoke from distant wildfires (or nearby ones) can significantly degrade air quality, because fine particulate matter (PM2.5) travels into the valley.

In recent years, there have been multiple days in August/September with elevated PM2.5 levels — some even exceeding EPA’s healthy thresholds — especially on smoky wildfire-season days.

Local experts and media mention that wildfire smoke is now one of the biggest air-quality threats in Aspen, more so than other sources like traffic.

How close to your arrival date should you make a decision?

Given the variability in smoke, here are some guidelines for when and how to decide:

Monitor air quality forecasts leading up to your trip: Use Colorado’s Air Quality resources (e.g., CDPHE wildfire-smoke outlook).
Watch local Aspen alerts: The City of Aspen offers “Pitkin Alerts” for smoke and air-quality advisories.
Check hourly vs daily AQI: Smoke can vary a lot day-to-day and even hour-to-hour — if forecasts show improving trends, that’s a good sign. Air quality typically worsens overnight or near dawn in valleys, so consider that.
Be ready to make a final decision ~2–3 days prior: By then, smoke maps, wind forecasts, and fire behavior projections will be more accurate. If air quality is projected to be “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse, you may lean toward postponing or making alternate plans.
Prepare a backup plan: For example, you could plan to stay indoors with an air purifier, or even temporarily relocate if conditions worsen. Aspen also provides public health guidance about staying inside during smoky days.

Other considerations:

Your tolerance: If you or your travel companions are sensitive to smoke (respiratory issues, eye irritation, etc.), then leaning toward rescheduling may make more sense.
Mask and filtration: Bring or buy a good-rated mask (e.g., N95) and consider staying in a place with an air purifier or a room where windows can be closed tight.
Flexible cancellation: Check your hotel’s cancellation policy. If they allow free cancellation a few days before, you could wait until that “2–3 day before” window.
Enjoying what you can: Even if there is some haze, some days may be “moderate” smoke with tolerable visibility, depending on wind and fire behavior. Smoke doesn’t always ruin the experience completely, though it may impact hiking, scenic viewing, and outdoor activities.

My Recommendation: Since your trip is only 10 days away, you’re in a good position to monitor smoke forecasts closely. Wait until ~3 days before your arrival to make a call, using local air-quality data, smoke outlooks, and your own risk tolerance. If things look likely to be smoky but not dangerous, you might go ahead — but have a backup plan (mask, staying indoors) just in case.

Wildfire smoke and air quality alerts

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