Thunder rumbles. It’s 78 degrees outside at midday, Ouray’s average July high. This monsoon weather dims the memory of an anomalously warm June (days 4.9 degrees above average, nights 4.3) and July (days 3.1 degrees above, nights 4.3). That was a sharp change from May, which had 2.70 inches precipitation (average 1.76) and slightly above average temperatures (1.3 degrees above days, 0.4 degree above nights).

It isn’t just Ouray that’s feeling the effects of a drastically changing climate....