It's HOT!!!

[COSteve]

We hit 105 degrees today tying the all time record high temp for Denver and the 4th day over 100 degrees! Your folks in Texas are thinking, " it's just starting to get warm." but for us up here this is really hot, hot, hot!! We've got half of the wildfire firefighters and equipment in the whole country here fighting the 9 major fires which have 11,000 people evacuated from their homes.

To top that off, the powder just came back on after being off for 3 hours in our valley. We're miserable here and could really use some of that rain that you folks in Minnesota are getting. Have mercy and send some of it down our way, please!

[geobru]

Last Thursday was the coldest day on record for Seattle. 57 degrees. SEND US SOME HEAT!!

[Blaine]

Last Thursday was the coldest day on record for Seattle. 57 degrees. SEND US SOME HEAT!!

No kidding.....Oct in June....go figger....

[Sixgun]

Yea, I heard it from my son who lives around the corner from you. The only thing I can say is that its better you guys than me. Nice and cool here in Pa.--got up and it was 55 with a high of 70 something today--------Sixgun

[Bill in Oregon]

Steve: I have bros in Boulder and Colorado Springs, and they are broiling along with you.
We were in the 60s here yesterday, and had so much light hail and rain with the thunderstorms that my wife asked me to build a fire in the fireplace. Felt real nice.

[gak]

Steve, get your trunks on and go sit in one of those nice trout streams just to the southwest of you. It's where I'd be, not even caring if I got any trout--I"d be right in there with them!

[Streetstar]

I've got some men (and ladies) deployed there for another Denver area hailstorm and they are reporting much the same thing to me ---- the old song and dance about -- "Its a dry heat " is applicable when its 88-92-93 degrees out, but when its over 100 its H-O-T whether its dry or not.

I am instructing my troops (thats how i refer to them, but they're insurance adjusters ) to procure Camelbak water drinking systems and strap 'em on when they are going to be outside at a house longer than 20-30 minutes

ITs hovering around 100 here in Oklahoma too -- my office is in a large loft over my garage -- my poor AC unit cannot keep up. I leave the thermostat on 70-72 and by 4 pm the AC is still humming along , but it will be 80 degrees in the house

[bdhold]

it's been 13 years, but coming home from a summer New Mexico trip (to cool off in the mountains), it was 117 when we got to Big Spring.
That was hot.

I still gotta say anywhere a swamp cooler works gives you an easy out, even if it's just playing in the sprinkler.

[COSteve]

This is getting out of hand! Over 100 degrees F again today (that's 5 days in a row) and we have all these fires all over the state. Over 11,000 people evacuated state wide with over 250 homes destroyed as of yesterday.

Today we got some lightening and now there is a lightening caused fire in Boulder right near where my son works. They have evacuated the National Center for Atmospheric Research, NCAR, as the fire is close to it. Sorta funny, NCAR is evacuated because of an atmospheric event (lightening).

Not funny is the fact that he just called and they are evacuating both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, as well as the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST, where my son works. His campus is not far from NCAR and they may have a problem.

That's not funny as he's got some experiments running in a dewar that requires constant checking and topping off with liquid helium every 8 hours to complete his experiment.

[Pitchy]

Had a talk with the Chief and he said he`d organize a rain dance for your state.
Thoughts and prayers for ya all.

[Sixgun]

Steve,
Its big news here in the East. I see you guys have a real mess.

One thing that always puzzled me about Colorado. While visiting my son we would be cruising around in the mountains and checking out the houses, etc. I could not believe that so many houses in the mountains have pine trees growing around them. Maybe I'm wrong or stupid (thats entirely possible, no, probable) but it seems to me that having a mountain of pine trees all around you is like those idiots in Florida who live in the paths of hurricanes or the people in California who live on or near that big fault.----its just a matter of time----and not a lot of time--------Sixgun

[ollogger]

100- 105 here also had a few fires but nothing like Steve has just down the road
our local TV station is Denver so we see the havoc there, its a real disaster, hope & pray for rain



ollogger

[hightime]

As I'm trying to mow the grass under water, I'm aiming the discharge your way.
We're upset because it going to be in the eighties this week.

Owen

[rat patrol]

100- 105 here also had a few fires but nothing like Steve has just down the road
our local TV station is Denver so we see the havoc there, its a real disaster, hope & pray for rain


ollogger

Hi hear that almost 100 in Casper...

[COSteve]

This has gotten really serious! The news is now reporting that 32,000 people have been evacuated in Colorado Springs alone, the NCAR, NOAA, and NIST Federal Research facilities in the Boulder area are under siege with thousands more evacuating in Boulder, the huge fire west of Ft Collins, now well over 100 square miles in size, that's already destroyed some 200 homes and displaced thousands more people; it's just fires, fires, fires all over the Rockies. I'm fearful for all of us who live in the mountains.

We're told that well over half of the entire US fleet of fire fighting aircraft, both fixed wing and rotary, are already here in Colorado plus they have mobilized additional Air National Guard C-130s from the western states being pressed into the fight. Fire crews from all over the US are either here already or on their way here to help with the fight. The winds were gusty and very erratic today adding to the problems with numerous lightning strikes. Tomorrow is forecast to be more of the same.

We can hear the planes and helicopters flying all day in every direction over our house. There seems to be nowhere along the entire front range of the Rockies from New Mexico to well into Wyoming that's not threatened. Please pray for those whose homes are threatened as well as the brave men and women who are fighting to save our homes. So far, we're safe but worried.

[1894c]

Last Thursday was the coldest day on record for Seattle. 57 degrees. SEND US SOME HEAT!!

No kidding.....Oct in June....go figger....

lousy sticken' no-sun cloudy dreary cold rainy windy...at least it's not snowing...yet...could you imagine owning a "swamp-cooler" in the Pacific NorthWest...probably use it as a kitchen table, loading bench, or drag it behind my jeep as a portable shooting bench... :O

COSteve--prayers sent...fire is serious business...keep safe... :)

[bdhold]

that's one thing scary you guys get in the Rockies - dry electrical storms.

[OJ]

The fire west of Colorado Springs has reached the west side of town and destroyed Flying W Ranch as well as many homes - area west of I-25 evacuated - here's what the fire looked like last evening from my back yard some 15 miles from the fire. No wind this AM looks good but, we're not out of trouble yet - by a long shot.





AM paper reports Obama's severe cut-backs of slurry and planes to spread it earlier this year has seriously hindered getting control of fire - last reported as 15% contained.

[Batman1939]

Steve,
Its big news here in the East. I see you guys have a real mess.

One thing that always puzzled me about Colorado. While visiting my son we would be cruising around in the mountains and checking out the houses, etc. I could not believe that so many houses in the mountains have pine trees growing around them. Maybe I'm wrong or stupid (thats entirely possible, no, probable) but it seems to me that having a mountain of pine trees all around you is like those idiots in Florida who live in the paths of hurricanes or the people in California who live on or near that big fault.----its just a matter of time----and not a lot of time--------Sixgun

BUT SIXGUN--folks like to build their homes in the mountains where they are surrounded by forests.

In Helena, MT (about 50 mi from where I live) there is currently a fire "raging" (well, in a small way compared to CO) over a couple of square miles. Lots of folks have been evacuated. There are some trees there, but the area is not heavily forested where the fire is burning from what I understand.

Pretty scary when you are forced to leave your home due to wildfire. We were awakened about 1 a.m. a few yrs and ordered to leave. Fortunately, we had a trailer hitched up and drove to a nearby fishing access site where we stayed for a couple of days. No damage done to any structures in that case, the fire burning grassland with a few scattered ponderosa pines.

[Barcelona Rick]

Steve my prayers go out to you and all of y'all facing the wildfires. We had terrible wildfires all over Texas last year.....we have had some rain but we are still in severe dought conditions......as I type this at 1:02 PM CDT it is 101* and the heat index is 108*......be safe sir.....

rick

[COSteve]

As OJ said, this morning things are looking a bit better, however, this afternoon the winds and lightning storms are due again. The fire crews are as ready as they can be.

Yep, YOmama has screwed up the country's ability to respond to fires . . . . . . . . just like everything else he's touched. Maybe tomorrow the Supreme Court will slap down his socialist agenda a notch or two.

[Canuck Bob]

Sorry to hear of the fires Steve.

We have been unusually cold and wet over much of Alberta.

[COSteve]

Thanks for all the thoughts and prayers for us here. Looks like it's helping. Today it was only 96 degrees F with thundershowers passing through over Colorado Springs, our area, the Boulder area, and even over the huge fire up by Ft. Collins. We're feeling much easier in our area as the small fires near us have been largely knocked down by the firecrews and the rain storms. Even the air is much less smokey than the last few days.

A mixed blessing though, with the good being higher humidity, the light rain, and lower temps, however, the down side has been extremely erratic, strong winds causing the fires to change direction suddenly, the lightening strikes (thousands) that have started numerous small new fires, and now a flash flood warning in the fire area near Ft. Collins because the ground is bare.

Whatever, there's a feeling of more calm with a break in the weather today and with new firecrews and equipment arriving the stricken areas. The local stations' weather and fire coverage have essentially taken over the TV listing with multi-hour special reports to help get the word out to those on pre-alert (thousands in Boulder County and near Colorado Springs).

[bdhold]

OK, heard Nebraska officially graduated to very hot.
Glad you're getting some relief.

[Streetstar]

Good news Steve! The President will be making a visit to The Springs today and touring the affected areas ! Everyone's troubles will be over soon ! Maybe he will hand out debit cards to the 600+ people who have completely lost their homes, not to mention the thousands that likely have smoke damage

[COSteve]

Good news Steve! The President will be making a visit to The Springs today and touring the affected areas ! Everyone's troubles will be over soon ! Maybe he will hand out debit cards to the 600+ people who have completely lost their homes, not to mention the thousands that likely have smoke damage

Many complain that his visit will only hamper the firefighting efforts. And then there's the cost of flying his 747 to Colorado just so he can tell Governor Hickenlooper that federal aide was available, something he could have done on the phone for free. I guess it's cheaper than YOMama's wife going on another vacation.

[Meeteetse]

Hope everything begins begins to calm down Steve. I've been praying for all of you. My sister is in Littleton and I have been getting reports. Brother-in-law works for Colorado College and they have been offering help and shelter to all those who have lost their homes. Tough times. Hope the traditional afternoon showers return to help the firefighters but with no lightening. Talked to friends in my old home town of Cheyenne. They have smoke but no real problems.

Wish I could send you some rain but west Texas is burning up with heat and we haven't had significant rain in well over a year. Reservoirs are drying up. We may be out of water before we figure out where to find enough to survive. Things are tough all over the west. Personally I'm blaming King Obama since he said he was going to fix everything. We are thinking of you, so hope it gets better soon. . . . . . Dave