May here: May snow, may shine
Month opens with cold precipitation around Colorado
Rocky Mountain News
Published May 1, 2008 at 7:01 a.m.
Updated May 2, 2008 at 12:43 a.m.
Photo by Brian Lehmann / Special To The Rocky
Bill Gawith, of Jennings, Kan., puts chains on his truck near Vail on Thursday. Today will be cold again, with less chance of rain or snow, but the big story will be fierce winds on the eastern plains.
One day into May and the month is living up to its reputation as the wettest of the year.
A fast-moving storm dumped snow in the mountains and blessed Denver with 0.43 inches of precipitation in the form of rain and wet snow.
Thursday's snow, however light and brief, was a dramatic change from recent Mays when snow has been a rarity, with little or none in the last 12 years.
Grand Junction received it first measurable snow ever recorded on May 1, with half an inch.
Elsewhere, Steamboat Springs received 3 inches and the Avon- Vail area received 2.5 inches.
May is the most changeable month of the year in Denver, according to the National Weather Service.
It also marks the advent of the severe weather season. Snow, hail, thunderstorms and tornadoes are all possible, and freezing weather can continue, the weather service says.
May 5 is the average final date for a killing frost along the Front Range.
And it's (usually) wet.
The weather service forecast is for average or near-average precipitation for May, which averages 2.32 inches.
Even with Thursday's moisture, a recent pattern of unusual weather continues: Snowpacks are heavy and mountain reservoirs are full, but the lowlands are pretty dry.
Precipitation measurements at Denver International Airport show a much-dier-than-average year. March was the third-driest on record in Denver, and April was almost equally parched.
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May 1, 2008
8:31 a.m.
Suggest removal
Steve writes:
Sasquatch you need to travel. Hit some glaciated mountains while you're out there. Look at the acres of glacier that have disappeared recently. For starters look at the summit of Mt. Kilamanjaro in Africa. Massive massive deglaciation. Many mountains are doing the same thing, Kilimanjaro is just well known. Global warming is happening rapidly. The question now is what's causing it, man or a natural cycle?
May 1, 2008
8:41 a.m.
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davies writes:
SASQUATCH FLUNKS THE 'ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE DOES NOT PROVE OR DISPROVE ANYTHING' TEST---AGAIN.
May 1, 2008
9:16 a.m.
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ashlandbus writes:
Sasquatch must have forgotten to look out the window yesterday...
May 1, 2008
9:19 a.m.
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smith writes:
Sasquatch, I always appreciate the laugh.
To his haters, today is May 1st. July is just around the corner. When it hits 100 degrees in the city (especially if it happens during the DNC), I would kindly ask you to remember your words today, and save our ears from your stupidity.
May 1, 2008
9:33 a.m.
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DahmersCookbook writes:
'Gullible Warming'
May 1, 2008
9:56 a.m.
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psu96 writes:
The BC riding should be sweet this weekend. then when it warms up and melts time to hit the rivers/creeks.
May 1, 2008
11:24 a.m.
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Seabreezes writes:
All I've got to say about this is that all the jacka$$es that forget how to drive in wet weather, go back to driver's ed and stop tailgaiting big trucks in front of you (Broadway southbound @ 830 this morning). You have a wreck, and I will laugh when the red & blues are there for you.
May 1, 2008
2:47 p.m.
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gethoht writes:
davies:
I almost spit coffee all over my keyboard you made me laugh so hard!
May 1, 2008
2:50 p.m.
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DeimosJB writes:
Two points:
Point 1: Both sides should stop using one-liners while discussing global warming. Instead, look at the data. See NASA, GISS, or just go to Wikipedia if you're really lazy. 1998 is no longer the warmest year on record - due to a NASA miscalculation, 1934 is. Also, global temperature DROPPED 0.7C in 2007. Again, look at the data. The data shows that it hasn't gotten any warmer, and if last year was any indication, it is actually trending colder.
Point 2: I noticed above that nearly 40 accidents were reported, yet I didn't see one single poster bemoan truck drivers or complain that they should not be on the road. Come on people, you're normally way more bigoted than this!
May 1, 2008
3 p.m.
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DeimosJB writes:
Sorry to bother the community of posters again, but I found another fact worth noting: In April 2008, scientists at NASAs JPL facility made a couple announcements. Number 1, the La Nina effect will continue in 2008. Combined with a late start to solar cycle 24, this will lead to a continuation of temperature cooling in 2008. NASA also announced the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (ocean pattern) had shifted to its cool phase, which will likely lead to cooler temperatures for the next 20-30 years. All of this seems to stack up unfavorably for global warming. Again, look at the data yourself. Keywords include NASA, JPL, PDO, Solar Cycle 24, Marc Shepherd, etc.