Whoosh, whoosh — whistle, whistle. I could hear the winds blowing early this morning. Peeking out the windows, I could also see the trees bowing back and forth as well. A windy day in Nederland is no surprise, so when I planned to take the dogs for a walk this afternoon, I prepared for blustery conditions, donning my hat, gloves and down jacket. But when I walked outside, it was downright balmy — the Chinooks had arrived…
Working at the Nederland Mining Museum this past summer, I met people from all over the country, many of whom hailed from the midwest or south. They would often inquire about the climate of Nederland, assuming that the winters must be rough. Telling them that we average around 150 inches of snow per winter did nothing to assuage their fears. Finding out that the elevation of Nederland is higher than any town east of the Mississippi also led them to imagine cold and blustery winters.
But here’s the thing — the Front Range of Colorado is a strange place weather-wise. We can get snowstorms in May, and balmy 50-degree days in January. Though the mountain communities on the west side of the Continental Divide do stay relatively cold, the east side of the Divide can experience wild fluctuations in temperatures of 40 degrees, sometimes within 12 hours. And while that can mean a 70 degree day in April turning into a 30 degree day, it also means that a January day can feel like spring. Today was one of those days, when the warm winds blew.
Chinook literally means snow-eater, and usually occurs in the western mountains on the rain shadow side of the mountains. In the west, most storms in winter move west to east, dropping the bulk of the snow on the west side, before moving across the crest. By the time they make it to the east side, they’ve lost most of their moisture and have dried out, creating what’s called a “rain shadow.” The drier weather pattern warms up the winds, creating what can feel balmy conditions on a mid-January day. The warm winds of Chinooks can devour snowpack at a rapid rate, sometimes melting almost a foot of a snow over a single day. They can also prove disastrous in late spring, as they can spread wildfires quickly.
But after almost two weeks of weather below freezing, I welcome a chance to get outside without having to bundle up quite so much, and enjoy a mid-winter break from the cold and snow.
