File:Colorado (MODIS 2020-09-05).jpg

English: On September 2, 2020, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a true-color image of the state of Colorado.

The Colorado section of the Rocky Mountains dominate the scene, with Great Plains in the east and just a bit of the Colorado Plateau visible in the west. The most prominent section of the Rockies visible is the broad Front Range, which runs north to south, creating the division between the mountains and the Great Plains. The Front Range stretches between Casper, Wyoming (which sits north of this image) and Pueblo, Colorado. While the city itself is not easily visible in this image, it sits at the confluence of the Arkansas River and Fountain Creek, in semi-arid desert land off of the edge of the Front Range. About 112 miles (180 km) to the north, the city of Denver can be easily seen, appearing something like a large spider web, with dense grouping of gray pixels in the center marking the city center and gray also marking roadways and developments radiating out of the center.

The skies were clear over the Front Range and Denver on September 3, with lots of sunshine and temperatures just over 90˚F (32.2˚C). Big weather changes are in store for the region, however.

The National Weather Service report for Denver on September 4 noted that today’s high of 90˚F (32.2˚C) makes 70 days of 90˚F or greater, which is approaching the record of 73 days set in 2012. This heatwave will continue, with highs near 100˚F (37.8˚C) on September 6 bringing critical fire danger to the mountains and possibly the plains. After that, a precipitous temperature drop is expected, with lows of about -8˚C (17.6˚F) possible in some areas. Snow is likely, with 6-12 (15-30.5 cm) inches predicted for the mountains and foothills of the Front Range.