As debates rage over the benefits and risks of storm chasing, whether for science, business or personal excitement, most of us prefer to observe severe weather from a safe distance. Our Littleton, Colorado, farm sits on the west wall of the South Platte Valley and offers a broad view to the southeast, a great vantage point for watching the massive thunderstorms that roam the High Plains.
From late May through August, afternoon thunderstorms build above the Front Range and, by late in the day, drift eastward across the urban corridor and onto the plains. While they may drop brief heavy rain and hail on the Piedmont, they are not generally severe close to the mountains. Rather, they begin to grow east of the Front Range cities, drawing in heat from the surrounding plains; their pearly white thunderheads, towering 50,000 feet or more, reflect the sun as it drops behind the Rockies. As the skies darken, spectacular lightening displays flash along the eastern horizon, many generated hundreds of miles away.
While the incidence of tornadoes across the Southern Plains and Midwest peaks in May, tornadic thunderstorms are most common in June across northeastern Colorado; Weld County seems to be their favored target. Safely ensconced near the mountain barrier, those of us in the Front Range cities can enjoy the beauty and power of these summer storms while, in most cases, avoiding the damage that they produce.
