Originally Posted by
Cubdriver
Probably even more than the thermals the city generates some days, but you can see pop up air mass thunderstorms on the lee side of many large US cities without nearby mountains, so it's probably both of these effects. I'd be interested to hear what the local metereologists say.
Generally speaking and having been living on the front range and having been flying out of DIA for the last 14 years. These big storms are orographic in nature. They start building on the Rockies usually at about 1100 to 1300. at about 1400 to about 1700 they move off the spine of the mountains and head towards the plains.
You've got the worlds longest North South mountain range sitting 30 miles west of DIA. You've got hot desert air that blows over those mountains from the west. Do the math. If the city of Denver has an effect on local weather it is extremely minor and insignificant compared to the mega Colorado weather maker called the rocky mountains.