Colorado Lightning Safety Awareness Week concludes today with wildfires being the final topic. During the past week we have presented lightning information and safety rules. Although wildfires are not an actual weather phenomenon wildfires are directly related to lightning and other weather elements.Normally, the wildfire threat in Colorado increases significantly after the middle of June and usually peaks in early July...and remains high through August and early September. Colorado averages about 2,500 wildfires each year.
About half of all forest fires in Colorado are ignited by lightning. Additionally, many rangeland and wheatfield fires are caused by lightning. Many of these lightning caused wildfires occur in the absence of rain and are the result of what is referred to as dry thunderstorms.
Read the full blog post written by the National Weather Service at www.READYColorado.com.
