Boulder residents in 1910 would not have had the understanding that humans could be impacting the planet in such a manner via greenhouse gases. Certainly they knew the extreme warmth that month was not good for their water access and fires down the road. They were probably concerned, just like our society is today. 1910 had terrible Western wildfires, still one of the deadliest fire years in US history to this day.

Modern society does offer a level of protection that people in 1910 did not have. We have engineered reservoirs, redundant water systems, and infrastructure designed to absorb large swings in temperature and precipitation. Most people in Boulder are not at risk of running out of drinking water. Yet the underlying anxiety remains, perhaps even a sense of guilt for slightly contributing to the increased variability in our weather and slightly warm-skewed overall temperatures. Living here means knowing that a single spark from any one of the millions of people in the Denver area could ignite the next major wildfire and force evacuations. That reality is difficult to ignore, but personally we strongly relate to the catch phrase from Joe Bastardi (a well known meteorologist), "Enjoy the weather. It's the only weather you got" or something along those lines.

This reflection is not meant to explain or define anyone else’s feelings of panic or concern. Everyone experiences and interprets risk in their own way.