Notorious Colorado Weather – A Photo Essay

Colorado weather is notorious for its unpredictability, but I’ve never seen anything like the superstorm that arrived this week. 2017 has been a year of the unpredictable, with the death of my brother and ceiling cave-in. I keep looking for that silver lining. It’s in my nature.

A week ago, I worried about how I would get “everything” done before floor refinishers and painters take over the house for the month of June. Part of my long list included planting annuals. Not only a couple of pots placed on tables, but at least eleven urns and four window boxes. That’s a lot of plant material.

Usually, I check out all of the garden centers before buying in order to save money. This year, I’m under a time crunch, so I was tempted to buy everything at one place. I vibed out and couldn’t motivate. After fighting the crowds over the warm Mother’s Day weekend, I only bought geraniums on Monday. Then I looked at the five day forecast and couldn’t believe my eyes. Tiny flakes of snow were predicted to arrive on Thursday night. I figured the snow would melt before waking.

The beginning of the storm rolled in several days early with huge hail in the form of golf ball-sized snowballs on Monday. It reminded me of a scene from The Day After Tomorrow. I’d never seen anything like it. You’ll have to trust me since they melted before I could take a picture. Thunderstorms rolled through the next two days.

Thursday, 8:30 AM:

After I blogged my Twin Peaks post, I looked up from my computer to the kitchen window. “It’s snowing!” I sprang from my chair and stared at the giant quarter-sized flakes. I figured it was a fluke and it would soon turn to rain.

9:00 AM:

It’s still snowing. Large puddles are forming on my lawn. A great day for ducks. Maybe you can see the duck in this video.

At this point, I wasn’t worried. It was early. The temperature would rise.

The following photographs are blurry from all the snow falling. Check out the size of the flakes in some of them.

3:00 PM:

My fingers froze while knocking down heavy snow from brittle branches. Soaking wet and exhausted, I gave up and came back inside.

6:00 PM:

You can’t even tell that I knocked down the snow. The trees look crippled under the heavy weight.

Friday, 8:30 AM:

We woke up to MORE snow and fog. Graduations are being postponed along with most outdoor sports. Can you imagine all the planning and flights, and how people are scrambling to reorganize? We have six inches of snow here in Niwot. Trees are hunched over and frozen like conspiring old men.

The silver lining? Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort is open and has over two feet of champagne powder! I wish I could go… I will return my geraniums and wait until July to plant. Cross one full day of work off my list.

They are predicting another one to four inches of snow today! We didn’t get any in March, usually our snowiest month. What is happening?

10:15 AM:

As the sun peaks out from the clouds, the trees shrug off the snow and pull themselves up to their full height. The birds are singing and 70 degree weather is in the forecast. Welcome to Colorado weather.

Are you getting our storm? Do you think the weather is getting crazier?

Response to Daily Post – Notorious