The Climate of Colorado

When most people think of Colorado, they think of skiing down slopes of deep, powdery snow. Consequently, a lot of people probably imagine Colorado as a cold and snowy place. The truth of the matter, however, is that most of the state has a very pleasant climate throughout the year. Because the majority of people in Colorado live in what is known as the Front Range urban corridor, which includes the cities of Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Fort Collins, this article will focus on the weather in that area.

Year around, sunshine is a good bet. Some places report over 300 sunny days a year! Overall, Colorado has hot, dry summers; pleasant falls; cool, very dry winters; and highly unsettled, often stormy springs. There are occasional extremes of temperature and precipitation, but for the most part, the state has a relatively stable and comfortable climate.

Colorado is located in the middle of the continent, far from any ocean. As a result, humidity is usually quite low. That, combined with the high elevation, makes the summers much more bearable than those farther east on the plains. Temperature in the summer will often exceed 90 degrees, but rarely top 100. Despite the daytime heat, summer nights are often quite comfortable, with temperatures dropping into the 60s and 50s. Afternoon thunderstorms are fairly common, though the resulting downpours are usually short lived. The Front Range cities rarely see tornados, though locations farther east occasionally do.

Falls in Colorado are often the most enjoyable season of the year. Sunny days are the rule, with lighter winds than the rest of the year. Temperatures are usually in the 60s and 70s during the day, though abrupt drops in temperature can bring snowfall as early as late September. By mid October, freezing temperatures become common at night.

During the winter, the average temperature in Denver is actually warmer than a lot of cities on the east coast; an average high of 44 degrees in January means that Boston, New York, and Philadelphia are all at least five degrees colder. The winter nights, though, can be bitterly cold, with temperatures below 10 degrees not uncommon. The Front Range cities are moderated by winds that blow down the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains during the winter. These winds, known as "Chinooks", can be quite strong and occasionally damaging. Colder air is pushed further east, which means that western portions of Denver are often much warmer than eastern portions. During the summer, the opposite is true, as breezes from off the mountains cool locations closer to the foothills such as Boulder.

Sporadically, arctic fronts will drop down from Canada and bring harsh cold to Colorado. These fronts are almost always accompanied by strong northerly winds and sometimes a few inches of snow. However, these cold spells usually don't last very long; a few days later, the temperature will be well above freezing again. Heavy snowfalls are not common during the winter months.

Spring is the most exciting time of year in Colorado, weather-wise. Temperatures can vary wildly from one day to the next: it may be 75 degrees on Tuesday and then 40 on Wednesday. The changing weather means conditions are often quite breezy. Heavy rains occur from time to time, and the largest snowstorms of the year often happen in March and April. Still, there are many clear, warm days to enjoy the beautiful snow-capped Rockies. The increased precipitation also makes Spring the greenest time of the year in Colorado.