Returning to Colorado for the first time in two months, I was greeted by a massive cloud of dust on the eastern edge of Metro Denver. Strong WNW winds, which had triggered a red-flag warning, were picking up sand, dirt and grit from construction sites and plowed fields in that section of town, reducing visibility to a hundred feet or so.
While I moved into the slow lane and turned on my emergency flashers, others were unfazed by the dense cloud, racing along I-70 as if they have never heard of deadly pile-ups under such conditions. Fortunately, to my knowledge, no accidents occurred.
Across the southern Metro Area, the winds were less intense, producing crystal-clear air on this sunny, warm day. Upon reaching our Littleton farm, it was evident that our nearly snowless winter has left behind a dry, brown landscape; hopefully, our usual March and April snowstorms will materialize, offering vital moisture for this semi-arid ecosystem.
