Ft. Collins - Inversions during winter? (Fort Collins, Boulder: home, allergens, live)

[J1mmyleg]

I am considering a relocation to Ft Collins but am very concerned about possible inversions during winter. I lived in Salt Lake City for a # of years and had to move 5yrs ago due to the inversions - my daughter has severe asthma and it finally got so bad we left. Don't want to run into that same situation w/ a possible move back to a city that has similar inversions. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated. thanks!

[xeric]

Are you talking about the fog inversions in SLC? We don't have those at all. Inversions that trap the cold and smog do happen occasionally but they don't last long. And the air quality is generally very good here (I've lived here 20 years and I can never remember any air pollution advisories). But I don't know anything about other triggers for asthma so I can't say that this is a better environment than SLC for asthma sufferers. Good luck with your decision.

[NBeener]

May I suggest you contact the City, and speak to one of their employees ?

Here's the Air Quality/Environmental Department's home page:

Air Quality: City of Fort Collins

It would probably help a lot if you can pinpoint particular triggers that seem to affect your daughter's asthma. Then, maybe you can compare the statistics regarding each particulate problem, between FoCo and SLC.

My dear friend, of 30 years, has had pretty severe asthma. I've helped him through several pretty critical episodes. You have my best wishes for your daughter's improved health.

[seethelight]

Originally Posted by J1mmyleg

I am considering a relocation to Ft Collins but am very concerned about possible inversions during winter. I lived in Salt Lake City for a # of years and had to move 5yrs ago due to the inversions - my daughter has severe asthma and it finally got so bad we left. Don't want to run into that same situation w/ a possible move back to a city that has similar inversions. Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated. thanks!

I would check with National Jewish Hospital about asthma in Colorado. They are the #1 respiratory hospital in the country. Myself, I never had respiratory issues until I moved to Boulder, Colorado. After six years of suffering, I moved East (back home) and the issues dissapeared.

There is a significant amount of dust present in the air on the Front Range, along with a host of allergens that I had never been exposed to which created significant problems for me, but that isn't the same for everyone.

I had visited Boulder a number of times before I moved there and never had a breathing problem. It wasn't until I had lived in CO for six weeks that the issues appeared. Also being at 5300 feet probably didn't help.

[sunsprit]

Having traveled this area for over 45 years, I can recall many winters/days of a visible inversion layer over the Ft Collins basin area. They are particularly noticeable traveling southward on I-25 from the Cheyenne ridge and descending toward the Ft Collins metro area.

Whether or not the typical contaminants are an issue for your daughter's asthma would best be checked out with a local doc .... there's dust, pollens, molds, and smoke that can be present.