How weather and climate are shaping ‘wildfire season’ in Colorado

May 10, 2023
West Metro Fire Rescue at the scene of a growing wildfire on the hogback near Alameda and C470 where smoke and flames are visible on Friday, March 31.  West Metro Fire Rescue at the scene of a growing wildfire on the hogback near Alameda and C470 where smoke and flames are visible on Friday, March 31.  Courtesy of West Metro Fire Rescue
West Metro Fire Rescue at the scene of a wildfire on the hogback near Alameda and C-470 on Friday, March 31, 2023.

Things are starting to warm up. The snow in the mountains is melting. Days are getting longer. All that can be a welcome change, but springtime in Colorado also means the wildfire season starts in earnest. CPR climate and environment editor Joe Wertz has been reading through the data to get an idea of what the months ahead might look like.