DENVER – In this edition of Denver7’s monthly climate conversation, Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner with CPR News touched base with Denver7 chief meteorologist Lisa Hidalgo about our most recent tornadoes in the eastern plains as severe weather season ramps up in the state.
Though Colorado is on the western edge of Tornado Alley, the state’s most recent tornadoes from over the weekend were strong enough to reach EF-2 designation on the Fijuta scale.
“We don't typically see tornadoes that strong, not only here in Colorado, but across the country,” Lisa said. “When I looked at that statistic, it was actually pretty surprising, but I believe it's 90% of the tornadoes across the country (that) fall beneath that, typically an EF-0 or an EF-1.”
These strong tornadoes are arriving early in the season
Hidalgo said the intensity of the tornadoes that struck Bennet as well as parts of Adams, Arapahoe and Elbert counties was a combination of things – the perfect storm – if you will.
Those four tornadoes were “pretty early in the season for us here. I mean, things are ramping up now that we’re getting into mid- and late May, but still, pretty early in the season to see it that close to the metro area and that strong,” she said.
Flying out during severe weather season? Lisa has a travel hack
The storms that produced these four tornadoes not only damaged or destroyed dozens of homes across several counties, but they also had an impact on air travel.
With several holidays approaching, like Memorial Day and Fourth of July, how should people plan lest they get stuck at the airport and miss their flights due to severe weather in the skies?
“I never, during severe weather season, fly past noon,” Lisa said. “Typically, you’re going to start to see a ripple effect of severe weather or flights being delayed from leaving Denver after about 12 o’clock.”
Lisa told Ryan most of the storms on Colorado’s eastern plains occur between about 1 p.m. and 8 p.m.
For those traveling during severe weather season, Hidalgo suggested becoming an early bird.
“You know, I just went on a vacation, and we left on a 6 a.m. flight, which meant we had to be up at 3:30 (a.m.) My girlfriend was up in arms, and she's like, ‘This is ridiculous. Who wakes up at this time?’ I said, I do. I do. So, yeah, no problem there,” Hidalgo said.
Lisa and Ryan also talked about the differences between Colorado’s unsettled summer weather and a monsoon, what the arrival of summer means for air pollution and the concerns surrounding the Trump administration’s move telling scientists and volunteers not to publish the next climate assessment.
Watch their full conversation in the video player below:
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.