Great Weather along the Front Range

by Fernando Caracena ©2021 Fernando Caracena

Suddenly about mid summer, it stopped raining in the Boulder area. Until then, we had had fairly good precipitation. After that we received precipitation as very light showers, many of them only traces of less than 0.01 inches. Even so, out total precipitation for the year is nearly normal at just under 18 inches--almost high enough to support a forest of Ponderosa Pines. The lack of precipitation in the inland west owes its existence to a persistent ridge that keeps forming and reforming over California. This high pressure area at upper levels is deflecting a large atmospheric river of mist air over the Pacific Northwest. This results in a precipitation shadow over the Desert Southwest that extends into the mountainous forests father east and south of 40 degrees latitude.

Although Denver has yet to record its first snow, which breaks an all time record, we in Boulder had our first snow the last part of September. The Denver records are bogus in the sense that the official weather recording site for Denver was moved a significant distance from the old recording site over complex terrain where a few miles distance can put you in a completely different climatic zone. This is one instance of systemic incompetence that is the scourge of our badly administrated world. But I do not want to go an a rant at this point. The main point here is one of making lemonaid of life's handing you lemons.

Yesterday, we went for a walk around the Teller Farm area. by choice we had selected a home in and unincorporated area of Boulder County which yet had city water and sanitation services. Within minutes we have access to numerous trail heads that lead into different environment. The Teller Farm area is a mixed use area, recreation being one of its functions.

On a portion of Teller Farm there is a small lake, where there is opportunity for the avid fisherman to go after Tiger Muskies that are over three feet long. Normally at this time of year, a fisherman would be casting lures onto ice, bu this year, fishing season is extended.

All is not completely under the dominance of the drought painted by experts over Colorado. Although snow has come to the High Country in inches at a time rather than in feet at a time, most of the ski areas in the northern part of Colorado are now open. See reference. Those ski areas farther south are unfortunately casualties of the stainless steel high over California.