Colorado Fires: Heat Waves and Snow Storms
Last night, the sky turned an ominous orange. As I was out watering my pumpkins, I noticed ash falling from the sky. Unfortunately, this isn’t the only time this summer when Colorado fires made their presence known.
However, this was the first time that I noticed the landscape turning nearly as orange as my pumpkins. And, it was also the first time I saw ash come down in such a large quantity.
I’m not sure what fire is sending debris our way here in Denver. There are so many large Colorado fires going on right now that it’s hard to tell. But, the ash contains remnants of pine needles.
I have a suspicion it came from the Cameron Peak fire, according to people on Twitter who stated Fort Collins was covered in ash the same time I was seeing bits fall from the sky.
And considering how the plumes reached 40,000 feet, I’m fairly sure the ash on my lawn is from that particular blaze.
Keep in mind that I am about 150 to 200 miles away from these fires.
Four Colorado Fires at more than 10k Acres
Currently, we have four major fires in Colorado that have consumed more than 10,000 acres each. In fact, as of this post, the Cameron Peak fire has burned out 59,000 acres and is at around 5% contained.
And in the south, along the New Mexico border, we have another brewing that is just under the 10k mark.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. But, I doubt that a lack of rainfall and the current heatwave didn’t contribute to how bad it’s become.
And Now for the Odd Part
With fires and heat warnings on both sides of the state of Colorado, we’re also under a winter storm warning for tonight. It’s supposed to drop our first snow of the year and be cold enough to freeze.
This means I need to get the plastic sheeting out and over my pumpkins before I live stream tonight.
And then, the temperate jumps back up to the 90s before the weekend.
According the some of the ever-changing maps I’ve seen, the snow isn’t going to hit perhaps one of the fires going on.
Breaking Record Sizes Since 2002
All of the top 10 fires in Colorado have been in this century. Two of which are just in 2020 alone. With land being dryer and average temperatures increasing, this is only the beginning.
And it’s not just the fires, either. The storm we’re supposed to have tonight is believed to be a 148-year-old record for the biggest temperature change in Denver.
This means it’s going to be hot, to super cold, and then back to hot within a very short period of time.
Although I love the snow and the winter months, even I am worried what this means for the future of humanity. It’s not paranoia when you follow the science and can see certain trends in the data.
Colorado Fires and Snow, Stay Safe!
It’s one thing to have to survive the Colorado fires, but it feels fate is adding insult to injury with this upcoming snow storm. Even skeptics of climate change need to take pause for a moment and witness how things are unfolding.
If you’re anywhere near these fires or in the path of the storm, stay safe. It almost feels like we’re trapped between a rock and a hard place.
Michael has been interested in the practicality of living green for quite some time. He works closely with GreenGeeks Web Hosting as the Content Marketing Team Lead and an author of various articles.
