The Spanish Peaks from the Cathedral Pines neighborhood in Black Forest
America’s most famous mountain – Pikes Peak – is located right here in Colorado Springs, but you’ve probably noticed you can see a couple of other ranges from certain points in the Springs. On cool days, you can sometimes see the Spanish Peaks to the south. Sometimes, they’re really clear and sometimes you can’t see them at all.
I asked Mike Madson from KOAA for the science behind when you can and can’t see them, and this is what he said:
How well you can see the mountains depends on a number of factors that affect the visibility, such as dust and haze…but the situation you describe, “partly cloudy [or clear] winter days” is all about the amount of water in the air. When it’s colder, there’s usually less moisture = better visibility. Good job on spotting the key!
You can also see the beautiful Sangre de Christo mountains from south Colorado Springs and Fountain. This picture was taken from around Marksheffel Road and Fountain Blvd.
Read more about Colorado Springs weather trends from Mike’s blog!
