On a cold and windy morning along the Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains, Union Pacific 6559 drags a westbound coal train through the red mountains near Burns, Colorado. Burns was named after the 19th century trapper Jack Burns, who first inhabited these mountains. On the morning of March 8th, 2020, the rugged terrain and unpredictable weather which made these mountains inhospitable to many early settlers was on full display. As this train moved through, an intense storm cell gathered to the west. Within minutes, heavy rain and hail would impact this region.
