9 Undeniable Differences Between The Eastern and Western Parts Of Colorado

Weather conditions are night and day from one side of the state to the other! As an Eastern Plains native, I can attest to the crazy spring and summer storms that sent us running for the basement (tornadoes and golf ball-sized hail in particular), whereas the mountains and Western Slope almost never experience tornadoes or damaging winds. On the flip side, the Slope is prone to a lot more snowfall come winter, thanks to its higher elevation and close proximity to the Continental Divide.

Everyone knows that the best peaches come from Palisade (in western Colorado), but did you know that the Melon Capital of the World is in Rocky Ford (in southeast Colorado)? Now you do!

In addition to making some of the best wine in America, the Western Slope produces large amounts of hay, thanks to their higher river and creek valleys.

It isn't just beef, but also wheat, corn, beets, and more!

This one is obvious: The Slope has them but the Plains do not (though you can see Pike's Peak on really clear mornings from my parent's back window).

We try to stay away from politics, so all we will say is that the Slope tends to vote blue and the Plains usually vote red.

They define the landscape of Western Colorado.

Eastern Colorado has a much more level landscape.

In my opinion, Western Colorado has more popular attractions (see: Mesa Verde, Dinosaur National Monument, and the Four Corners), whereas the Eastern Plains have hidden and often overlooked gems (Picketwire Canyon, the old Kit Carson County Carousel, and Pawnee Buttes).