Wednesday may have felt underwhelming across the lower elevations of the Front Range, where lingering low clouds kept things calm and cool for much of the day — but just west of Boulder, up in the sunshine-soaked Foothills, something rare and striking took shape Wednesday afternoon. A graceful funnel cloud twisted above the mountain peaks in a spot where such phenomena almost never occur. We explore why tornadoes (and their funnel-shaped precursors) are so uncommon in Colorado’s higher terrain, and take a closer look at what makes broader Boulder County particularly adverse to tornado development.
Monsoon season may have officially started earlier this month, but it’s off to a sluggish and lack-luster beginning across Colorado. Boulder has seen frequent storms—yet little meaningful rain—and wildfire smoke from the Western Slope and neighboring states is starting to pool to our west. A cold front arriving Tuesday night will bring cooler temps and a bump in thunderstorm chances for Wednesday, followed by a promising shift toward a more classic monsoonal setup Thursday through the weekend ahead with continued daily storms. This week, we’re tracking some heat, smoky haze, and hopefully, a few solid soakings of rain.
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