What explains the crazy Colorado and Denver weather?
Colorado broke more than 350 daily maximum temperature records while Denver also witnessed accelerating heat records this year. Grand Junction recorded 107 degrees on July 17. Average temperatures in western Colorado are now at least four degrees warmer than pre-industrial levels. Colorado recorded around 1,400 storm reports in 2023, more than double the number of reports in 2022.
Was this wild weather an anomaly? Was it because of the El Niño pattern developing in the Pacific Ocean? No, not an anomaly. And not only because of El Niño, but primarily because of a long-term warming trend caused by climate change.
Several recent reports have indeed confirmed that this is affecting many weather and climate extremes such as heat waves, drought, wildfires, heavy precipitation, and powerful storms. These include reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in 2022, the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) annual Emissions Gap report released on November 20, and a stark new report from federal agencies — the Fifth National Climate Assessment issued on November 14 — which covers ten US regions and is of special importance to us as it fully examines the Southwest region.
The IPCC warns that “Human-induced climate change, including more frequent and intense extreme events, has caused wide-spread adverse impacts and related losses and damages to nature and people…The rise in weather and climate extremes has led to some irreversible impacts as natural and human systems are pushed beyond their ability to adapt.” It issued a dire warning that “without timely action taken to effectively address the unprecedented changes in the climate system, these changes will have a catastrophic impact on the planet and all life on it.”
According to the UNEP report, “the world is witnessing a disturbing acceleration in the number, speed and scale of broken climate records.” It warned that even if countries complied with their existing carbon-cutting plans the planet will reach a disastrous heating between 2.5 degrees Celsius and 2.9 degrees Celsius by the end of the Century, and perhaps even could reach 3 degrees Celsius. Scientists have warned that if the earth warmed to these levels it would render parts of the planet essentially uninhabitable for humans and perhaps lead to irreversible tipping points. The UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, said that leaders “can’t kick the can any further,” that dramatic climate action is needed, and added the world “must reverse course,” as “the emissions gap is more like an emissions canyon.”
The National Climate Assessment brings climate change’s impacts down to national and local levels. It said that since 1970, the lower 48 states have warmed by 1.4 degrees Celsius and Alaska has heated up by 2.3 degrees Celsius compared to the global average of 0.9 degrees Celsius. The message is clear: climate change is “harming physical, mental, spiritual, and community health and well-being through the increasing frequency and intensity of extreme events, increasing cases of infectious and vector-borne diseases, and declines in food and water quality and security.”
The report finds that climate change is already affecting people’s security, health, and livelihoods all over the country in different ways with Native American and minority communities suffering often disproportionately.
The report added that the Southwest is experiencing extreme heat and more drought reducing water supplies and increasing the risk of wildfires. It suffered 31 large climate-related disasters causing 700 deaths and over $67 Billion in damages. Colorado’s disasters include the 2021 Marshall fire in Boulder County, intense hailstorms, and severe drought.
If climate change continues at its current speed, Colorado will suffer from increasing wildfires, shrinking snowpack, water scarcity, and drought with the Colorado River continuing to dry, and the resulting ramifications for the ski industry and agriculture, both vital to the Colorado economy.
The need is evident for all countries to boost their efforts to cut emissions to save the planet.
Ved Nanda is Distinguished University Professor and director of Ved Nanda Center for International Law at the University of Denver, Sturm College of Law. His column appears the last Sunday of each month and he welcomes comments at vnanda@law.du.edu
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