weather in Colorado? (Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora: rent, crime, buying a house)

[Ksovs_girl]

Hi, my husband and I are considering a number of different places to move within the next year. He is graduating from the University of Utah and going into some kind of law enforcement. A lil background, I am from San Diego and enjoy the nice weather, my husband is from Utah and enjoys the change of seasons. Haha, basically we compromise we are looking for a place that has some things we both like.
So I am curious what the weather is like right now and what is a typical winter and summer like?

[Mike from back east]

See my reply to Connie and Frank under the topic "Colorado Springs weather and housing"

Typical summer day is in the 80's with very dry air. Thunderstorms rumble through many afternoons in the summer, but are quicky gone. A few days in the 90's, but its comfortable. Many homes here don't have A/C as it tends to be comfortable. Nothing like the true desert southwest, where it can get to 105 - 110 in AZ, NV, NM and parts of CA. Livable all year round.

Few swimming pools here, don't need them. Got the YMCA and fitness clubs for that. Some homes have pools, very few. Lots of gyms here, a very fit city.

Dry air means very few bugs here. Yes there are some mosquito's but nothing like back east or in the South. You can bbq or sit outside without getting carried away.

Because we gets lots of sun here, and its so dry, you can get by with very light clothing most of the year. In the winter it gets cold when the sun goes down.

Suncreen and sunglasses are a good bet most any day of the year. And water.

The air here is pretty clean, but can get a bit dusty when the wind kicks up. If you have allergies, you'll want A/C.

We have wonderful seasons. You MUST see the Aspen trees in the fall, especially up in the high country.

SNOW: we get some here, but mostly its up in the high country. It's the high country that makes the news, be it an avalanche in Vail or a semi-truck that jack-knifes up on I-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel. That's what people see on the evening news and they assume all of CO is like that - NOT! The Springs is protected from extreme cold and heavy snows by the Rockies on the west and a lesser formation just north of here called The Palmer Divide. We are a pocket of mildness.

Two days ago in was 75. Yesterday it was 35 with flurries. Today its 55 and partly cloudy.

When the sun shines, and that's most of the time, a light jacket will do, and the numerous walking and bicycling venues here are well used all year. I take a walk for my health with only thin nylon gray Nike exercise clothing, not the parka's needed back in cold-damp areas like the east cost. We're fine here at 40 degrees with a light windbreaker, but back in the DC area at 40 degrees it was bone chilling. The difference is the low moisture here and the sun's rays get through more at this altitude. My house sits at 6600 feet.

Typical winter day is 25-40 degrees, dry, not bad at all. Back in Dec 2005, we had a few days of very cold, got down to -15 at night but that was only for a few days. Life went on as usual, but I didn't walk those days (hehe).

Save the extreme winter clothing for skiing in the high country - they really do need it up there.

Snow melts out quickly, what little we get. People have 4x4's and drive with some sense, not like in DC, where one flake falls and the city panics, stripping all the milk and bread from the groceries - you gotta see that to believe it. Wife and I used to sit there at work and laugh at it all. We'd stay in the office, go to the nearest restaurant, then a movie, and then drive home about 7-8PM after all the nuts had fled and the roads were passable, and free of most cars. Nothing like that here.

Last freeze/frost here is about mid May, similar to back east, where we used to figure 01 May was the start of veggie gardening season.

Summary: Four seasons, mild, nothing extreme - extremely livable.

[Crackerjack]

The weather in southwest Colorado is pretty mild. Durango has a good climate, nothing extreme. You can go up to Silverton and Ouray and it is very cold but from Durango, go 1 hour to Farmington, New Mexico and it is a hot desert. The weather in Durango is very nice most of the year with warm days and cool nights. They do get snow but usually it is in the higher elevations and it melts quick on the roads and there isn't ice storms like you get back east.

[xxman777]

Durango is nice but you should know what you are getting into before you move there. The weather is very nice, maybe a little colder then the front range but nice, but there are no jobs in this town. Durango is very small and everybody either works for the college or for some supporting industry. If you are looking for some other type of work Durango probably isn't the place for you. I agree though it is a very nice town with a pretty mild climate and the snow doesn't really effect your day to day life.

[corndog]

Well, I think I got you covered. Mike from back East is really correct with his assessment.

I know what you are thinking when you say San Diego! My wife and I are from Huntington Beach in OC and recently moved to Colorado area of Aurora. It is quite nice here and if you like OC or San Diego, then I think you will be comfortable here.

Your man who is entering Law Enforcement, well let him know that I recently quit my last job as a Los Angeles County Sheriff Deputy after a little more than a year of service and took the risk to move here and start over again. It can be done and We think it will.

Go on, take the risk, if it doesn't work, then move back to California and pay some ridiculous price on a crappy small house and never get anywhere. California for us is still home, but we can always just take a plane and visit!

[elfyum]

Wow! I guess the weather has REALLY changed since I lived in CS '84-'90...The first September there we had 3 ft of snow! It was neat, but that's alot of snow! I was also stuck on a bus that had to be re routed off Austin Bluffs because of the snow. Took hours to get home! - no cell phones back then so relatives were quite worried! Summers, yeah, 80's days, 50's nights. But winter - it is ALWAYS 10 degrees!!! The second the sun went down all the outside bank clocks would read 10 degrees! That was pretty much the norm. Snow in April -the norm. They get it cleared up pretty quick, but so does every major city. Night time wind chills 40 below not uncommon! Walking home with groceries without thermals under my pants my leg froze! Was fine, but I had to stand there for a good few smacking it til I could feel it! Not trying to put anybody off to CS- great place! But by no means is the winter "mild!" I'm sure compared to AK and probably the humid northern states like MI & MN, but I moved there from NY and it's dryer, but COLD and SNOWY! The view of Pikes Peak & the thin clean air are great though!

[Been There]

You are right elfyum, I lived in Colorado Springs for two years and it was the coldest place on earth next to Antarctica. To say it is mild there is a real joke! Also they don't tell people about all the gangs, murders, robberies and all that there. I got out of there because of crime and the COLD! I'd suggest you rent a place in winter there before you commit to buying a house there. These guys who are telling you what a great place it is may be realtors! BEWARE!

[Mike from back east]

Been There: As I've said many times, I'm not a realtor nor connected in any way with the industry, just a happy-go-lucky retiree who is delighted to be in Colorodo Springs. Don't Worry. Be Happy.

My description of the weather here is accurate for this past winter. Long-time residents I talk with agree with that assessment, though we had less snow in the winter of 2005-2006 than other winters. There may be a lot of snow next year, and a lot of cold. The level of snowpack up in the high country is well above average this year, so there has been a lot of snow in the state this year.

We've had zero-degree nights and 3-feet of snow back in the DC area several times over the years; it can happen anywhere that gets winter weather, not just the Springs. I don't think we had but a mild flurry this April, nothing at all in May. This week it is mid-80's daytime, mid-50's at night. Great weather. I hardly wore a coat this past winter. When the sun goes down, you do feel the cold.

My heating bills here were no worse than back in the DC area, and my house here is almost twice the size of that one back east.

Rates of crime reported for most cities are well higher than Colorado Springs. Check the number for Albuquerque - car theft down there is a guilded craft. Crime here seems non-existent, though I'm sure there is a fair amount. Maybe it was worse when you were here, but now it seems fine. We hardly ever see any police or fire activity.

I have to go with the numbers and what I've seen and heard over the past year that I've been here. I researched this area very well before I came here, comparing it to a lot of other areas.

Colorado Springs is one whale of a great place to live and work.

s/Mike

[xxman777]

I lived in Denver for 23 years. Only about once a year do you see a large snow storm. Most snow falls leave between 3 and 6 inches. When we say that it quickly disappears it is not because the cities plow, but because it all melts, usually within a few hours of falling. Again, yes it gets cold at night, but most days it gets up into the 40's. Compared to most places in the midwest or northeast, Colorado has a mild winter. Compared to the south, southwest, texas or California, Colorado has a harsh winter.

I can't vouch for the snowfall last year in Colorado because I had to move away last summer. However just because the state recieved record high snowfalls one year does not mean that in general the front range recieves a lot of snow.

[starling]

Mike Back East is not telling you the entire story. I lived in COS for 5 years and loved it, HOWEVER, I also spent the coldest 4th of July in my life watching fireworks from my backyard. WE ALL HAD WINTER COATS ON IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER AND WERE STILL FREEZING!! Whereas when our friends came to go skiing in February we were wearing shorts (72%) and riding our bikes in the driveway. To say the weather is unpredicable is really an understatement....but I don't know how else to describe it. So obviously the weather patterns are interesting, but they are that way because you live on the front range, which brings me to the WIND. Worse than the cold is the WIND...it will blow you away. Just ask about the WIND and forget about the snow!!