Air Quality Conditions
Today's Conditions
Tomorrow's Conditions
Current Advisories in Place
None
Spring Open Burn Season is scheduled to begin March 1 – April 30.
Agricultural burning is allowed with a permit on days where conditions are appropriate. We continue to ask our agricultural community to be aware of health impacts on those most at risk for COVID-19 and consider other options, if possible.
Public Health Recommendations
Symptoms of a reaction to poor air quality:
- Repeated coughing
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness or pain
- Palpitations
- Nausea
- Fatigue or lightheadedness
Sensitive groups include:
- People with asthma
- People with heart or lung disease
- Adults 65 years and older
- Children and teens less than 18 years
- Pregnant women
COVID-19 Considerations:
- When moving activities from outside to inside, maintaining recommended practices like physical distancing and mask-wearing should be a priority.
- Guidance regarding setting up a clean air space with COVID-19 considerations can be found here.
The scale uses green for good, yellow for moderate, orange for unhealthy for sensitive groups, red for unhealthy, purple for very unhealthy and maroon for hazardous. The Air Quality Index above is also useful, but only monitors several County-wide sensors. Click here to learn more about AQI.
Open Burning
In Mesa County residential open burn seasons run from March 1 – May 30 (Spring Open Burn) and from September 1 – October 31 (Fall Open Burn). The burn season within City limits is one month shorter.
Agricultural open burning is allowed year-round with a permit.
No Burn Advisory
If conditions warrant, a No Burn Advisory may be issued to protect the health of residents. When one is issued, restrictions are put in place on open burning or woodstove burning. Residents should note that woodstove burning restrictions do not apply to those who use a woodstove as a primary heat source.
To report a suspected illegal burn click here.
Burn Permits
The easiest way to get a burn permit is to apply online. Click here for the online system.
For questions about obtaining a burn permit, or for help with the online system, call 970-248-6900.
Understanding Air Quality
Air quality is the state of air that promotes optimal health. Air quality impacts how you live and breathe. It can change from day to day, even hour to hour. Mesa County Public Health is constantly monitoring air quality with forecast models, measurement tools and observation. Our team utilizes this local data to inform and educate community members about current air quality conditions. This data, over time, helps shape local policies on clean air.
What impacts our Air Quality
We use a measurement system called AQI (air quality index) developed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to assign a numerical value to the air quality. This system takes four major air pollutants into account, ground-level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide. The higher the AQI, the greater the level of air pollution.
