Weather - again

Even after more than twenty years here, the weather can be fascinating. 

We needed a couple of items to finish some of our preparations for our next trip.  So, with a check on road conditions (most of the CDOT still cameras were blank this morning, but the list of road conditions had nothing scary.  The Denver Metro area was not on "accident alert".  So, there was no reason not to go, and Tom can get the items installed and make sure we're ready to tow the bikes.

As we crossed Berthoud Pass on US Hwy 40, the weather got more intense.  It went from light rain, to rain to rain/snow to snow.  As we got down closer to I-70 it let up a bit, but then as we were on next-to-final approach to the Metro area it started snowing hard, with big flakes.  We were hoping all the time we were doing our shopping that it would turn to rain or even stop before we had to come home.

Luckily, as we headed home it was raining lightly.  But as we left Fraser (on our side of Berthoud Pass) it was snowing and blowing.  I was actually steering a little bit left of straight to keep a straight path, and the snow was blowing across our path.  Normally, rain or snow will look like it's coming straight at you when you look out the car windows, then when you stop you find out which direction it is really blowing. 

 

 

Over all, Colorado is having a very wet May.  After dry warm months when we should have been getting lots of snow, now rain and snow are falling.  On the Front Range it has been more days raining than clear this month, and the last week or so it's been heavy rain.  Creeks are reaching their limits.  Places that had serious flooding back in the fall of 2013 are reaching flood stage again.  At this point it's "normal" flooding, not the flooding "of biblical proportions" of 2013.  People along those streams and rivers are getting very nervous.