April Fool’s Day Ends with Dust, Wind and Weeds

Mother Nature may have had the last laugh during the closing hours of April Fool’s Day on Wednesday.  Residents in southeast Colorado are well-versed on how quickly a pleasant day can change into something more memorable.

That was the case as the evening progressed and the winds began to pick up.  According to news reports, a controlled burn near Highway 50 in Fowler on Tuesday probably left a few hot spots that flared into life on Wednesday afternoon once the winds arrived.  Several fire crews responded to the blaze which was moved along the base of the Arkansas River bottom by northwesterly wind gusts.

One hundred acres were burned as crews fought to keep the fire to the north side of Highway 50 and by late Wednesday evening, 85% of the fire was contained, helped by diminishing winds that died down, almost as quickly as they appeared.

Lamar and Prowers County had the highest wind speeds and gusts for the area, according to the National Weather Service out of Pueblo.  Lamar went from a low of 33 degrees at 5:16am to a high of 85 degrees at 2:42pm.  Sustained wind speeds of 54 mph were common for a portion of the night, with the highest gust of 67mph recorded at 8:53pm, out of the north.  La Junta had a high gust of 55mph and Springfield reported 48mph.

Tumbleweeds started their seasonal roll across the plains last night, blasting vehicles along east Highway 50 between Holly and Lamar, as both sand, dust and gravel pelted travelers who had no other recourse but to decrease their vehicle speeds and peel their eyes open just a tad wider.

Area residents who were already indoors, checked on the weather and wind situation as their visibility was just as diminished, as evidenced from this video, taken with an easterly view of the Lamar Municipal Swimming Pool and parking lot.

By Russ Baldwin