per preliminary data from PRISM, it was the warmest October through December period on record for the majority of Colorado. In many places, by a large margin (e.g., here in Fort Collins it was 2.4°F warmer than any previous Oct-Dec). #cowx

Students in the atmospheric and related sciences: are you looking for a summer internship? I've just updated my listing of summer internships for the 2026 application cycle. Most deadlines are coming up in January & February! #weather #climate #reu #research clarkevanswx.github.io/education/un...

When you get the reputation of being the guy with the encouraging words on New Year's Eve, it can start to come through as a little pressure -- what if the situation on the ground is worse than usual? what if people are more scared than they usually are, and with cause? what use are good vibes then?

December 30, 2021: A devastating wildfire ravaged Boulder County, Colorado. Abundant drought conditions & winds over 70-100 mph field the flames that eventually burned over 6,000 acres. Close to 1,100 structures were destroyed, and two people were killed.

“The winter of 1976-77 is generally thought to be the worst snow year in our mountains but the SNOTEL network wasn’t built out yet at that point, so it’s hard to make direct comparisons...But the fact that we’re even in the same conversation with that winter is not good news.” (Summit Daily)

Our photographer Alex Kormann captured the exact moment the presses stopped for the last time in Minneapolis, ending a 158 history of locally printed newspapers.

We are SO close to 7,000 monthly donors to the Word of Thanks Fund. Set up a recurring monthly gift in the amount of your choice and it will be automatically split among all the non-profits we feature. (I cover the annual costs of the fund.) Sign up here: www.coloradogives.org/donate/Wordo...

time for the traditional Colorado Christmas day walk through the park in shorts and short sleeves (yet another easily broken record high temp today)

It finally happened! We made it almost 4 weeks before a tree-climbing incident, but Nimbus wasn’t going to waste an opportunity.

Christmas delivery

Here is the latest update from WPC on the California atmospheric river event where a moderate to high risk of flash flooding is anticipated for southern California on Wednesday Christmas Eve. Please stay safe through the upcoming Christmas holiday. www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/key_messages...

This was very fun to work on, emerging from student class projects a few years ago. How sharp can a cold front get? We were able to point to some answers.

ah yes a true holiday classic

The 2025 Headline of the Year Nominees 🧵

A rare High Risk has been issued: "This will pose a significant threat of flash flooding, landslides, rock falls & mud slides. The greater than normal travel during the Christmas Holiday will potentially expose a larger number of people to these life threatening hazards." -NWS Forecast Discussion

New blog post: Where is the snow? A look at the warm, dry weather and what to expect for the start of 2026. #cowx

Trump denies disaster declarations for Colorado fires, flooding: ‘We won’t stop fighting’ trib.al/wfmTdLL

New AMS Statement: Dismantling NSF’s National Center for Atmospheric Research would weaken U.S. leadership in weather, water, and climate science, putting public safety at risk. For more than 60 years, NSF NCAR has improved forecasts and early warnings that save lives. More: https://bit.ly/4q6eChn

This tree just came down on Pine St just west of Folsom St in Boulder. Winds already gusting to 100+ mph at NCAR Mesa Lab.

Wisconsin has a new 24-hour precipitation record: 14.55" This was recorded by a rain gauge in Milwaukee during the August flooding event and shatters the previous record of 11.72" that was measured on June 24, 1946. www.weather.gov/mkx/NewWisco...

Wildfires can spread quickly — by the time one is nearby, you may not have much time. Have an evacuation plan, and prepare an emergency supply kit ahead of time. Listen to local officials for emergency information and any evacuation orders.

Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning for the Boulder and Jeffco foothills tomorrow, via NWS Boulder. Warning text at mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/wx/afos/p.ph... #cowx

NEW: Colorado Sens Hickenlooper and Bennet announce they're putting a hold on the Senate appropriations package to demand funding for NCAR. Bennet said today that the Trump administration's move to dismantle the climate/weather lab is retaliation for Tina Peters' imprisonment.

Extreme winds were observed across eastern Colorado yesterday, with numerous wildfires growing quickly in Yuma County last night. The strongest winds were in the foothills, with several reports of gusts over 100mph. But the >80mph gusts on the eastern plains are perhaps even more unusual. #cowx

Yeah, so there's a fire south of town and winds are like 80

This post has been edited to add a link and context around new reporting from NOTUS (bsky.app/profile/anna...) that suggests the NCAR closure is related to a personal spat between Trump and Colorado's governor, which if true is shocking in its context.

Before the 1990s, plane crashes caused by microbursts used to kill planeloads of people fairly regularly. Dr. Ted Fujita and NCAR scientists figured out how to detect microbursts and warn pilots about them. Since then? Zero airliner crashes from microbursts.

Exclusive: The Trump administration is moving to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, according to a senior White House official, taking aim at one of the world's leading climate research labs.

Key messages from NWS Boulder's briefing on the upcoming high winds along the Front Range. Available at: www.weather.gov/media/bou/Ds... #cowx

Due to a combination of widespread anomalous to record-breaking warmth & a mix of low precip (in Rockies/northern Sierra) and heavy warm rain (vs snow, in Pac NW), numerous locations throughout the American West are reporting their lowest Dec 15 snow water equivalents on record.

This is incredible -- if the claims are true that the Skagit crest height was reduced by 4-5 ft (consistent with some forecasts), this emergency measure may have saved hundreds of millions in damage to Mt. Vernon and other towns along the Skagit river.

Hard to overstate how concerning this is. There are over 46,000 people, a school, and a hospital in the flash flood warning area. Washington communities have been bracing for levee failures as another round of atmospheric rivers arrives to full rivers and saturated soils.

It looks as though the🔥Heat Miser🔥has taken over the latest outlook for Christmas week (Dec 23-29)! There is a high probability of warmer-than-normal temperatures for most of the US. Alaska, the Pacific Northwest, and New England have a better chance of seeing "classic" Christmas weather.

Just watched the Spinal Tap sequel the other day. It was fun with some good laughs, and of course Reiner as DiBergi was perfect again. Such a tragic end to an incredible career and life.

This has to be one of the greatest runs any director has ever experienced.

Charlotte DeMott received our 2025 Outstanding Alum Award. Congratulations to DeMott on this richly deserved recognition!

November was the 3rd-warmest on record for Colorado: 7.5°F above the 20th century average for the month. And much of the state was dry, with little snow in either the mountains or at lower elevations. Read more in our November monthly climate summary: climate.colostate.edu/monthly_summ... #cowx

BOU issues Red Flag Warning for 10 forecast zones in [CO] till Dec 11, 5:00 PM MST Link

Can't say I ever expected to see a "That Font was No Angel" headline. But here we are.

High Wind Warning across much of northern Colorado today. There have already been reports of 70-90mph gusts in the foothills and mountains. #cowx

Sad to see that my colleagues in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at UNL saw their combined department eliminated late this afternoon by the UNL Board of Regents. No more meteorology no more geology at UNL. Words escape me!

🚨 New job alert! 🚨 Want to work with me? We're searching for an open-rank, tenure-track faculty position at the University of Arizona in Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences! Desired expertise is radar meteorology, broadly defined, with a focus on mesoscale phenomena. arizona.csod.com/ux/ats/caree...

Minnesota, here's a sign to show your support for Somali neighbors. Share it, print it, pass it on. **updated PDF link** PDF here >> www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/s89ru...

That was some actual snow overnight. Measured 6.1” in the backyard, Fort Collins 2.5NW #cowx

Fort Collins officially received 0.1" of snow yesterday, the first measurable snowfall of the season. Having the first snow be 0.1" seems on-brand for this warm and dry fall. That's the 9th-latest first snow in over 125 years of records (record latest was December 13 in 1965.) #cowx

Death toll from Sri Lanka floods, landslides rises to 334, reports disaster agency. It is the worst natural disaster to hit the island in two decades, and officials say the extent of damage in the worst-affected central region is only just being revealed u.afp.com/Sh6d

New roomies Nimbus and Yuki. The dog is displeased.

if you look real closely, you can find evidence that snow did indeed fall here in Fort Collins #cowx