Does Colorado Have the Most Unpredictable Weather in the US?

If you’ve lived in Colorado for any extended period of time, you know that the weather here can get quite funky.

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For example, we’re easily one of the most hail-prone states in the entire country. 

We also can get some truly high and unpredictable winds that can cause some serious damage.

However, we also lead the entire country when it comes to lightning deaths, which is why it is important to know what to do if you get caught out in a thunderstorm. 

With all of this being said, it is worth asking the question: Just how unpredictable is Colorado’s weather?

Colorado’s Weather is Some of the Hardest to Predict in the Country

Recently, the Washington Post made a study that looked to find the weather forecast accuracy of almost every city in the United States.

They looked at recently shared government data to see which cities, states, and regions in the country had the easiest and hardest forecasts to predict.

Here in Colorado, there’s many places that are actually quite difficult to predict, including right here on the Front Range.

When you type in Fort Collins, Boulder, and Denver into the search bar, you will find that we only can get accurate forecasts only two days out. 

In general, the Western Slope is much easier, with places like Grand Junction getting an accurate forecast five days out.

However, there is one place in Colorado that not only is the hardest to predict in the state, but in the entire country.

Paonia, Colorado is the Hardest Town to Predict Weather For

Paonia, Colorado also sits in the Western Slope, but unlike Grand Junction, it has the most unpredictable forecast in the entire country.

You can genuinely seem to predict Paonia’s weather the day of, it’s that unpredictable.

The Washington Post found that Paonia’s forecast is off by 5.9 degrees a day on average, which is absolutely absurd.

Why is Colorado’s Weather so Unpredictable?

In general, the High Plains and Rocky Mountain regions are some of the hardest areas to predict in the entire country. 

The terrain of the mountains is what makes weather so unpredictable, especially for snowstorms.

In general, the region with the most unpredictable weather in the entire country belongs to the Great Plains region. 

The easiest region to predict is South Florida, where you can usually get an accurate forecast seven days out.