There has been a lot of new weather for the Grand Valley and all across Colorado. With 6 inches of snow in Fruita and a massive fire across Boulder, it can get kind of confusing. 

Colorado, among many other states, is known for its unreliable weather and spontaneous storms. The reason for this is that the Rocky Mountains cutting the state in half can disrupt wind patterns and the elevation differences can alter temperature changes. 

In the mountains or Western half of the state, the temperature is about 10-50 degrees lower than the Eastern side, according to mountainweather.com. As the weather passes from the West to the East, temperatures will transfer over and the Eastern half will get colder. Along with this, there will be more precipitation and this can help prevent more fires from the dry cold of the winter. 

There are always differences in opinion on whether or not precipitation is a good thing. “Even though it’s kind of terrifying, I think we always need the moisture, so it is a good thing” explains Alayna, a sophomore student. 

Colorado is a desert climate state, so whenever there is moisture to give, it is important for it to come. The tragedy of the fires is just what Coloradans don’t need and the – although excessive – six inches of snow is exactly what our ground requires.