TUESDAY, August 4, 2026|
Photo – Pink is red flag warning areas and gray is hazardous atmosphere areas – Courtesy National Weather Service
Smoke hung over Carbon County this week as strong winds and dry weather made conditions hazy.
Residents may have noticed smoky skies and the smell of burning brush across our area. According to National Weather Service, Cheyenne General Forecaster Mathew McLaughlin said major wildfires to our north and west are pushing smoke into the upper atmosphere, creating hazy skies.
The Albany County Office of Emergency Management reported that the Widemouth Fire near Kanosh, Utah, now at nearly 37,000 acres, is driving much of the smoke into south‑central Wyoming. Additional smoke from fires in the Pacific Northwest is drifting into our region as well, worsening conditions.
Even though residents can smell the fires, General Forecaster McLaughlin said Wyoming’s Air Quality Monitoring Network shows the smoke is unlikely to create any health concerns.
The high winds pushing smoke into the region have also triggered a red flag warning. McLaughlin explained that red flag warnings are issued when conditions are favorable for wildfires to start and spread.
Carbon County is currently under Stage One fire restrictions, which limit where outdoor flames are permitted. These conditions are unlikely to change as McLaughlin said there’s no meaningful rain in the forecast; only gusty showers that evaporate before reaching the ground, kicking up strong winds.
The National Weather Service’s experimental probabilistic liquid precipitation forecast shows no discernible rainfall in our region through at least Thursday. The smoky conditions are expected to lighten today, with temperatures climbing into the mid‑90s as the week progresses.
