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

Boulderites KNOW that only fools and tourists predict Boulder weather. That used to be true. I believe or at least strongly suspect that the extreme weather we’ve been seeing worldwide is the result in most significant part of climate change. Floods, rains, high temps, low temps, snow amounts, glaciers melting, and on and on. Short term or long term the current trend is beyond question getting more extreme. Our own NCAR and NOAA are at the heart of study of weather and of course more. NO surprise that both are in Boulder. NCAR is an architectural gem in Boulder, and is featured in Woody... Read More

Hiking is one of Boulder’s best activities. It’s a great way to get outside, see some sights, and catch up on the latest gossip with some friends. Nature is unpredictable though, and hikers must always be prepared for everything. That’s why I’ve prepared a list of hiking tips. 1. Stay hydrated. Staying hydrated is absolutely key for hiking. Dehydration causes headaches and altitude sickness, which are the last two things you want to encounter on a trail. Another thing that you don’t want is Giardia, which is a very unpleasant infection that will force you to get comfortable... Read More

The incredible warm winds lately got us thinking about how weird Boulder County’s weather can be. So here are a few examples of weather events gone rogue in our county, and some facts about why they occur. Tornadoes Though they might seem like more of an Eastern Colorado problem, tornadoes do occasionally appear in Boulder County. Unlike their eastern cousins, they are typically much less powerful and only rear their heads every few years. The most recent tornado touchdown in Boulder County was in June, 2015. Several homes in the 15300 block of highway 287 took damage, but no injuries... Read More

After the disastrous floods which lasted from September 11 through September 15, Boulder County has officially been designated a Federal Disaster Area. According to CNN, there have now been seven confirmed fatalities and approximately 18,000 homes across the state have seen damage. Nearly 200 miles of state highways will need to be repaired along with many more miles of local roads. It’s been estimated that repairing all of the damage may end up costing businesses, homeowners, and local governments up to two billion dollars. Here in Boulder, Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle has said that... Read More

It all began on Wednesday evening, around sundown, when the rain started dumping. Forget cats and dogs, this was lions and bears. I was heading back from a friend’s house and remember thinking that the raindrops were so big and coming down so hard that it felt more like hail than rainfall. After being outside for only about a minute I was as drenched in water as if I’d just climbed out of a swimming pool. The heavy rain kept up and continued throughout the night and all the way through Thursday. So far, we’ve recorded six to eight inches of rainfall and nearly every waterway... Read More