Is lightening really a dangerous Boulder phenomenon or is it just a GREAT light and sound show suitable for the concert stage? I’d name bands but it would too seriously date me. I have to avoid that because my wife does not let me date. Let’s look at the facts and not just the flash. Here’s some balanced perspective on entertainment vs. embalming. Lightning is definitely dangerous due to its unpredictable nature and the immense power it carries. It can cause severe damage, such as starting fires, damaging structures, and injuring or even killing people and animals. Every year,... Read More

As recently as 10 years ago, Boulder weather reporting was reliable and precise. While Boulder Valley has always presented a prediction challenge, even in Boulder the question was more along the lines of demarcation of different areas of moisture, temperature and wind. BUT since then, weather prediction has been poor. Rain might come as predicted, or might never come, or might come days earlier or later than predicted. Keep in mind that weather prediction has been primarily based upon models, and the models are based upon historical data. The Shear Quantity Of The Data Is Beyond Comprehension Climate... Read More

Boulder has an ideal climate and geography for the formation of Virga. Virga is a captivating weather phenomenon in Boulder and elsewhere, that presents itself as streaks or wisps descending from a cloud but evaporates or sublimates before reaching the ground. This meteorological marvel occurs when precipitation falls from a cloud into a layer of air with significantly lower humidity, causing the droplets or ice crystals to evaporate or sublime into water vapor. Virga is not just a beautiful spectacle in the sky; it also offers insights into the atmospheric conditions of an area, such as air humidity... Read More

Living in Boulder, Colorado means being no stranger to extreme weather, but one phenomenon stands out as particularly awe-inspiring: thunder snow. This rare and dramatic event combines the intensity of a thunderstorm with the serene beauty of falling snow, creating a spectacle that captivates all who witness it. Understanding the science and experiencing the wonder of thunder snow is a unique privilege for residents of Boulder and a reminder of the astonishing power of nature. The Science Behind Thunder Snow Thunder snow occurs when a layer of warm air is sandwiched between two layers of cold... Read More

  Boulderites are not afraid of the weather. After all, it only means we have to dress differently. As soon as the snow stop, the sun comes out and so to the Boulderites.  There are two temperatures in the winter. One, we call “warm.” It is over 35 deg F., 1 deg C, calm and sunny. Then there is cold. If we lose the sun or the calm, it is cold. Temperature does not matter much. Lenny Lensworth Frieling Shared Knowledge is Power!  Read More

Unless you mean the Eastern Boulder, Lafayette,  14″ 35 centimeters  on the ground already , and still snowing. Our 275 V-6 Mongo snow blower was unhappy because the snow is so heavy and wet. . Even Mongo prefers champagne powder! My weather prediction, to my extreme glee, was correct! Amazing. It is still snowing here, building on 14 wet heavy inches. I have written of the extreme dangers of shoveling snow if you are over or under the age of 12. Granted I’m a tad my mother’s son when it comes to spotting danger in the world. I see it everywhere. She taught me how. We’ve... Read More

  Fact or Fancy? Avalanche or Anticipation? I think we get a PILE of Precipitation!  I am not licensed to be a meteorologist or any other type of ologist. As a Boulderite and a Buff,  I can’t be a tourist, so I am by definition a fool. No shockers there. Only fools and tourist predict the weather in Boulder.   I’m going to predict the weather. DISCLAIMER: nothing in this blog is to be taken as a prediction  of the weather. The following sentence is WRONG. It is based upon a weather map that was at least an hour old. I do not see an upslope storm, is WRONG. NOW I do see... Read More

  As always, the lighting on the mountains  and the lighting on clouds is never the same. If we insist on being technical, this is a sunrise, not a sunset. BUT I love the image. And if a reader were to see this in the morning, Friday morning for example, then we’d have the sun coming up at sunrise. That is just the type of astonishing coincidences that intrigue me. I mean what are the chances that the sun will rise daily, and that this daily event will occur, with astonishing regularity, at sunrise?. What are the odds??? Welcome to another Friday! Friday has to be, for so many of us,... Read More

If you take this Boulder sunrise picture, the picture I felt like sharing, and look at it upside down, it should work as a sunset picture for tonight. We’re still basking in the goal of the hard-won Lady Buff‘s victory on Sunday over USC! The juxtaposition of the orange and blue, complimentary colors, are what makes the sky pop for me. May the wind be over your port bow and may your sunscreen be thick.  Read More

Did you ever wonder what the different names for the phases of the moon mean? Is your knowledge of waning beginning to wax? Good news! The phase of the moon is the same in Boulder as it is in the rest of the world. If we have a full moon, the entire earth sees a full moon. https://science.nasa.gov/moon/facts/ A NASA site devoted to the moon has a GREAT rotating moon photo well worth the visit. Either to the moon or just to the website. Let’s start the week and end Sunday with a moon exploration! My intention is that if you pick up or are reminded of ONE word regarding moon phases,... Read More