Worst air pollution Rocky Mountain National Park - Estes Park, today and tomorrow
Today (21 July): Air quality in Rocky Mountain National Park is fair. PM10, O3, and PM1 are fair; AQI, PM2.5, and NO2 are medium; SO2, CO, and HCHO are good. Pollution peaks around 10:00 PM (NO2: 53.5/100).
Tomorrow (22 July 2026): Air quality in Rocky Mountain National Park is fair. All pollutants stay as today. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 46.1/100). Airmine updates local air quality forecasts four times daily.
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Developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team
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Rocky Mountain National Park's air quality benefits from its elevated Colorado Rocky Mountain position at 2,700 to 4,345 metres, with consistent high-altitude westerly winds providing excellent natural ventilation. The extraordinary alpine wilderness generally maintains good conditions, while nitrogen deposition from Front Range urban and agricultural sources affects sensitive ecosystems, summer wildfire smoke is an increasingly severe seasonal concern, and summer ozone from Front Range and regional sources is a documented air quality challenge throughout the year.
Today - 21 July | Pollution peaks at 22:00
AQI:
Medium
53.5/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Medium
40.8/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
35.6/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Medium
53.5/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
36.5/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
8.4/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.0/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
7.3/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Fair
25.0/100
Levels show the poorest local air quality during the day
Tomorrow - 22 July | Pollution peaks at 19:00
AQI:
Medium
46.1/100
PM2.5 (fine particles):
Medium
40.3/100
PM10 (coarse particles):
Fair
34.0/100
NO2 (nitrogen dioxide):
Medium
46.1/100
O3 (ozone):
Fair
36.4/100
SO2 (sulfur dioxide):
Good
10.4/100
CO (carbon monoxide):
Good
0.0/100
HCHO (formaldehyde):
Good
7.1/100
PM1 (ultrafine particles):
Fair
23.8/100
Other Landmarks in Estes Park
Frequently Asked Questions
Is air quality bad in Rocky Mountain National Park right now?
On 21 July 2026, overall air quality in Rocky Mountain National Park is fair. O3 is the main pollutant at 36.5/100. Pollution peaks around 10:00 PM (NO2: 53.5/100).
Will air quality be worse tomorrow in Rocky Mountain National Park?
On 22 July 2026, air quality conditions in Rocky Mountain National Park will be similar to today, with O3 forecast at fair at 36.4/100. Pollution peaks around 7:00 PM (NO2: 46.1/100).
When is air pollution at its worst in Rocky Mountain National Park?
Rocky Mountain National Park experiences the same seasonal air quality swings as the rest of Estes Park, as a brief window in autumn tends to bring the year's best air, before winter inversions set in; by contrast, valley and basin locations can see pollution trapped under cold air for days during winter inversions. Higher-elevation, more exposed locations generally avoid the worst of the valley inversion episodes.
Are air quality levels in Rocky Mountain National Park based on measurements or forecasts?
It is forecasts derived by downscaling forecasts provided by EU’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) by taking into account local conditions such as traffic patterns. CAMS bases its forecast on satellite measurements of particles and chemical compounds in the atmosphere. Airmine’s services were developed with support from the European Space Agency (ESA)’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) team.
Why doesn’t the forecast always reflect wildfire impacts?
Airmine’s forecast uses CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) as its background atmospheric model. While CAMS includes wildfire emissions, these are derived from satellite observations and are not available in real time. During rapidly evolving wildfire events, there may therefore be a delay before increased emissions are incorporated into the model. As a result, the forecast may temporarily underestimate PM₂.₅ and other pollutants associated with wildfire smoke.
During rapidly evolving wildfire events, CAMS may lag by approximately 1–2 days before increased wildfire emissions are fully represented, which can lead to temporary underestimation of PM₂.₅ concentrations in Airmine’s forecast.
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Data provided by Airmine — Last update: 21 July 2026 at 10:44 CEST (Data is updated four times daily.)
This forecast is produced independently using Airmine's own atmospheric data and models.
Unless explicitly made clear, the content on this site has not been paid for by external organisations and is Airmine's sole responsibility.
For long term forecasts and maps, see the Airmine app