Rocky Mountain National Park

Rapid forming thunderstorm in the Rocky Mountains.

The extreme weather patterns of Rocky Mountain National Park are shaped by a number of factors including elevation, exposure, and slope. The highest precipitation in the mountains usually occurs during the summer and winter months. During winter, the high peaks and mountain ranges receive the majority of their precipitation as winds at the mountain top level are typically strongest. In summer, the sufficiently moist regional air masses are generated into thunderstorms with the help of the mountain peaks and ranges. This is quite evident during the end of July and most of August. It is not uncommon for these often rapid forming thunderstorms to become very severe within the eastern plains and slopes of Colorado.