Today’s post comes to you from Heather M. Smith of Fortuitous Photography. She will be breaking down the craziness that is Colorado weather.
Let’s be honest, all us Coloradans have a fierce sort of pride when it comes to surviving our weather. It gives us street cred, right?
Heather sums it up nicely, so, without further ado, please welcome her!
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“Wild, Whiplash Weather! You’re in for a head-spinning time! Welcome to Colorado!!”
That’s what the welcome signs placed on the highways entering our state should read.
Writing this, I completely realize it comes as no surprise to us Colorado residents…. actually, it’s become rather cliché, but outsiders be worried.
“People in Colorado don’t dress in layers for warmth, they dress in layers because they don’t know what the hell the weather is going to do!” says Anya Elise.
As cliché as the topic of Colorado weather is for those of us that have rooted ourselves here, I still wake up on any given day finding myself stupefied by what I see. Whether it’s snow, or rain, sleet, hail, tornadoes, blistering heat and sun, 75mph winds…I am always in “awe,” as if I didn’t see THAT one coming!
I have lived in Colorado for more than 20 years. I should know better than to react that way when I peek through the blinds. I should expect the unexpected. Alas…I always find myself saying “WTH?”
Go to sleep with clear skies and wake up to white-out blizzards…take a shower, re-check the scene and snow has melted and winds have picked up to 75mph!! Go to school and come out of class and have to strip down to a T-shirt because it’s now 80 degrees with bright, sunny skies. If Colorado weather were a tangible, flesh and bone person, we would admit them to psychiatric care and medicate with high dosages of antipsychotics!
Alas, it’s probably what keeps Coloradans on their toes. The constant changes make us appreciate the breathtaking beauty. The green springs, the fields of flowers, the awe-inspiring sunsets, the crisp mountains with emblazoned, blue skies. The sun…. wow! The warm, healing sun that graces our skies 300 days out of the year!
I, for one, will gladly manage the psychosis of our climate for all the beauty it gives us in return.
(Photo courtesy of Shannon M. Casey)
Anya Elise herself said it best, “People in Colorado don’t dress in layers for warmth, they dress in layers because they don’t know what the hell the weather is going to do!”
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Thanks so much, Heather! (She shot all of these photos except for the last. Check out more of her work here.)
To see past submissions, click on the link:
Want to contribute as well? Send your submission to me at: anya.elise@gmail.com
Have any questions about submitting work? Shoot me a message or check out this post: