Will Climate Change Make Severe Weather Like The Recent Hailstorms The Norm In Colorado?

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Photo: June Climate Buddies
Patrick Clark inspects his damaged car after a strong spring storm moved through the metropolitan Denver area Monday afternoon, May 8, 2017.

The hailstorm that struck the Denver metro area last month was the costliest natural catastrophe in state history, with more than $1 billion in losses, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. That's not the only recent example of severe weather in Colorado, what with record-setting heat being recorded in the last couple of weeks.

Is this becoming the norm, and how much of it might be attributed to climate change? From wildfires to changes to the state's national parks, all around us there are examples of how an evolving environment is impacting life here. Those changes can been seen throughout the calendar, from the vineyards that yield summer wines, to the winter ski season.

Alan Townsend, an ecologist and professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, and Eve Hinckley, an assistant professor of environmental studies at the school, spoke with Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner.