Loose Ends: Weather unwise

What should I pack?” asked a first-time visitor to the White River valley.
This question is often asked as if there is a definitive answer.
No one understands when most people respond with a vague answer that indicates even year-round residents don’t have a clue.
“Dunno, depends on how high you plan on gettin’.”
“Really? That makes a difference?”
“Altitude-wise, for sure!”
“Well the high country does get snow much earlier than the rest of us, but fall is only just beginning.”
“Somebody said to expect a cold front sometime this week, especially in the high country.”
“Did that somebody say how they came to that conclusion?”
Giving visitors an idea of what the weather will be like when they arrive in any season is near to impossible, as well as trying to judge the transition from warm weather to cold and snowy days. Following weather forecasts from Denver television stations isn’t the best idea, unless you try and catch news of a front moving in from the west. Even the news forecasts from Salt Lake City are often suspect. What starts out as a massive weather front heading towards western Colorado can swerve and miss this area.
The severity of the weather isn’t predictable either. Prepare for Indian summer and an early blizzard appears. Get ready for an arctic freeze and the temperatures soar into the 80s.
You didn’t put your summer clothes away, did you?