Climate watch

SH 131, Colorado USA

I have always been fascinated by the weather.

As a child, like all my age, I was bored silly by the news but then the weather would come on and I would sit up studying the synoptic chart trying to understand how this would affect my part of the world. How close were the isobars to one another? How did land masses affect the front? And the biggest question- would we get a storm tomorrow?

Storms are incredibly exciting events for me. Not the petrifying extreme events- who enjoys those?- more the sorts that produce incredible cloud formations, lightning, fast changes in temperature that come and go in a manner of hours. The sorts of storms where you can stand outside and be immersed without fear for personal safety.

When I was working in the mountains I would notice when the barometric pressure was dropping rapidly. I would feel the pressure change in my bones particularly in my knees. Madness I know but I knew a lot of snow was coming.

Sorry fair weather skiers, but being on skis on a snow day is the best place to be in the world. Low visibility, snow falling dreamily past your eye line, no noise. Mother nature's padded room!

These days the storms I am witness to are not quite so white, more grey. But lovely none the less. Next time there is a storm, get outside, stand in it, feel the energy in the air and let it invigorate you.