COLORADO – Any Colorado hiker can tell you that the conditions in the mountains like to turn on a dime. One minute it’s sunny and stunning, the next minute the sky is dark and there’s a thunderstorm overhead. Unfortunately this quick flip frequently strands recreators in nasty weather, occasionally leading to rescue operations that could’ve been avoided if the person was paying attention to the clouds above.
Afternoon lightning is common above the tree line. One of the easiest ways to avoid getting stuck in storms is getting on the trail early and getting off the trail before the afternoon, but that’s not always possible with longer hikes. Outdoor Devin provided some insight on how to spot incoming bad weather long before it reaches you by watching for cauliflower clouds as an early warning.
As an important note, you should always check the weather before heading out on the trail, but don’t think of it as the guaranteed truth. Weather forecasts will never 100% accurately predict where and when a storm is going to hit, so pay attention to the clouds around you and be ready to head off the mountain if the weather looks like it’s going to turn on you.
