So, here I am, sitting in my apartment, watching the weather outside wishing that I could go chase it. Being a full-fledged weather nerd and degreed meteorologist, I gain some extra life when I can feel the elements of the weather around me. So, you could imagine that being in quarantine and self-isolating myself for the good of my neighbors, is taking a toll on my weather needs.
Thankfully, weather webcams exist.
The need to be able to view the weather on a real-time basis is high amongst priorities of certain businesses and industries across the country. What that means for you and me is that there are ample ways to view the weather no matter what part of the country you want to see.
In a place like Colorado, where the elevation ranges from 3,315 feet in the Arkansas River Basin to 14,440 feet above sea level atop of Mt. Elbert, you better believe there is some interesting weather imagery to be seen here. Again, thank goodness we have weather webcams.
If you’re looking for a visual of the type of Wildlife there is in Colorado, the feet of snow that just fell at your favorite ski area, the tornado that just roared through or just want to simply just see amazing scenery that almost seems surreal under our bright sunshine, there’s a webcam for you.
Since I spend so much time looking at these webcams, I figured I should list off my favorites and maybe even try to rank them. Although, that will be tough to do.
Top 10 Weather Cams in Colorado
I tried to create a ranking system where I could judge the cameras and accurately (to some extent) rank the cameras I chose. To my despair, I could not make it happen. When you see the cameras and the views that have captured, you too, will struggle to pick a favorite. Therefore, here are my 10 favorite cams to look at, in no particular rank or order.
#10 Pikes Peak Cam
C’mon! It’s America’s mountain! Of course, it made the list. But truly, it made the list because there is arguably no place else in America where you can stand atop a 14-thousand-foot mountain and look over vast Plains as far as the eye can see. The height difference between those Plains and the 14,000 foot peak also create some stunning views. Inversions, a weather term for when air actually warms with height rather than cools, are common to see but equally as stunning every time. Click here to view Pikes Peak Cam right now.
#9 EarthCam Denver
EarthCam is known for having amazing cameras all over the world and because Denver is so photogenic and the weather that occurs here is so unique, they figured they had to put a camera here. Added bonus, a full-frontal view of Coors Field. This is one of the best cameras in Colorado since it gives you real-life views of a Downtown Metro area. Click here to view the Denver EarthCam.
#8 Telluride’s Revelation Bowl Cam
No explanation needed. Perch yourself on top of Revelation Bowl, which sits at 12,515 feet above sea level and watch the seasons change before your eyes. From a wintery wonderland to a summery dream filled with wild flowers and wild life, this cam will keep you coming back for more. To view the Revelation Bowl cam, click here.
#7 Denver – Downtown Webcam
This camera is great because it gives you a view of Downtown Denver with the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop. You can watch the trees and scenery change as Denver endures snowstorms, dust storms, hail storms and good ole sunny days. To view the Downtown Denver cam, click here.
#6 Colorado DOT Cams
I would argue these as one of my favorite sources for weather cams. Not because of one particular camera but because of the vast network of options you have. The Colorado Department of Transportation road cameras will bring you current road conditions across most of the state. That means that no matter the weather is in whatever corner of the state, you’ll be able to see it in either still view or video view. To view CDOT cams, click here.
#5 Arapahoe Basin Continental Divide Cam
This one just has a cool name, so you know it’s going to be good. Climb your way to the top of the Continental Divide, a hydrological divide for the country, and spectate the wild changes in weather that happen almost daily. Click here to see the Continental Divide cam at Arapahoe Basin.
#4 Longs Peak Cam – Rocky Mountain National Park
This webcam takes you to the tallest mountain in Rocky Mountain National Park. What you can view on this cam is the ever-changing weather conditions at the summit of Longs Peak. Below it, a forest of Pine trees that softens the rocky cliffs above. This one is just undeniably beautiful. To see Longs Peak cam, click here.
#3 Aspen Snowmass Panorama Cams
Aspen Snowmass installed a great network of panoramic cameras on their mountains. Depending on what you want to see, choose any of their 6 live webcams and see ski conditions as each of their mountains or view the Maroon Bells. One of these webcams captured the exact moment an intense snow-squall moved through during the 2019-2020 winter and that is just one example of what you may see on these cams. To view the Aspen Snowmass Panoramic Webcams, click here.
#2 Viaero Live Weather Cameras
Viaero literally calls these ‘live weather cameras.’ It’s like they’re speaking to me. Viaero has a large network of weather cameras all across the Central Plains. They are the perfect source to use when tracking severe weather since a lot of their cameras sit within tornado alley. Spotting supercells, funnels and full on tornadoes are likely with this network of cams. They have a cam setup near DIA that is one worthy to check in on often. To view Viaero’s Live Weather Cameras, click here.
#1 Colorado National Monument Cam
This cam of the Colorado National Monument is great for several reasons. You not only get to see plenty of sky, you also are looking at another type of topography Colorado has to offer. In the foreground are the Red Rock Wedding and Monument canyons and on a clear day, in the distance, you can see the Grand Mesa. To view the Colorado National Monument cam, click here.
Now that you have plenty to look at, find which cam you like the best and keep checking back to see how it changes. I promise you, the views never get old.
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