Pitter, patter.  Pitter, patter.  Rumble, flash — BOOM!  A familiar sound to those who live in the midwest during this time of year.  Perhaps too familiar, given the recent flooding in Missouri.  As I lie snug in our log home, the sound of rain on the skylight is a comforting sound.  One that lulls me to sleep during this cool day in spring.

But in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, the sound of rain in May is music to my ears.  May is a make or break month for those of us living in the WUI, otherwise known as Wildlife-Urban Interface.  The month known mostly for wildflowers blooming and grasses greening will determine the level of stress for me as a mountain resident as we head towards the summer months.

That’s because June is notoriously dry and hot and is often one of the worst months for wildfires.  A wet May can do a lot towards making June far more peaceful and less risky in terms of fire danger.  A dry month can dry out all those tall grasses and create the perfect fuel load to spark ample fires during the following month.

So a day that brought cool temperatures, gray skies and rain, glorious rain falling this evening, makes my heart sing.  As I look at the forecast for this week, the showers and rain will continue for the remainder of the week.  NOAA says the next two weeks are bringing abundant moisture to the area.  Every day of rain now is a day that defers hot, dry conditions further out into the summer months.

Of course, before I get too caught up in my happy rain dance, it’s easy to forget the not too distant past.  Another supposedly dry month of September, 2013, brought rain, which at first seemed like a great thing.  But the rain fell in copious amounts over 5 days — 20 inches of it to parts of Boulder, and brought widespread historic flooding.

So weather Gods — if you’re listening — keep bringing rain, but a little bit here, and little bit there through the rest of month would be fine.

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May 9, 2017
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