Weather, Climate, and Climate Change in Colorado
 
Russ Schumacher1
 
1Colorado Climate Center and Colorado State Climatologist, Fort Collins, CO, USA
 
Western Colorado has a fascinating and highly variable climate, from the snowy mountain ranges that collect and store the water for millions of people, to the warm, dry valleys with meandering rivers that support agriculture, recreation, and more. It is also one of the fastest-warming regions of the US, and climate change is already causing noticeable effects on water resources in the west. This presentation will provide an overview of western Colorado’s weather and climate, a look the changes that have already been observed and projections for the future, and some data sources and tools that can be used to further explore what is happening in the region.