Looking for rain (Englewood, Parker: 2013, buying a home, buying)

[pikabike]

You're looking in the wrong state. CO gets snow more than rain, and rain usually comes in summer thunderstorms that blast through instead of gently soaking the ground. There is a good reason why lush greenery does not typify CO--anywhere in CO--except after a very snowy winter and wet spring. And then you can expect that to be gone in less than a year.

Utah won't be any better.

There are eastern states with ski resorts that get more rain and are within a day's drive from TN. You're barking up the wrong tree. Even "Evergreen" and similar towns are not green compared with the east. Also, any lawns you see MUST be frequently watered. Nature will not come even close to doing it for you. Why move to a state to suck down its already-short supply of water? In new subdivisions, non-xeriscapic grasses such as KY Bluegrass are banned. In older ones, many people choose to rip out the old thirsty bluegrass and replace with drought-tolerant native grasses.

[bigmountain15]

Grass is not a requirement. It would just be nice. We love the rockys for what they are BUT if we could have both we would.

[Sunderpig2]

Originally Posted by bigmountain15

Coming from Tennessee, we are used to 50+ inches of rain and everything being very green and lush. ... is there an area that typically is greener and more lush?

Nowhere in Colorado will you find what you are talking about. The same applies to many of the neighboring states. Just look at annual rainfall-moisture maps for the nation. It rarely ever rains here, and the ample snowfall, though significant, comes in the cold/dormant season, and doesn't contribute like it would if it took place in the warmer/growth months. The typical dryness here evaporates the moisture quickly as well before it can do much work. It might be a soil issue as well. In my backyard at least, the soil is super compressed and shuns whatever water I throw at it. I can almost see a cartoon character of it: DirtMan with a frown, folded arms, and a water symbol with line through it.

I can relate to you what you describe and like. Eventually I'm moving to such an area of the country, and it will be nowhere near Colorado. If you're used to that, it's hard to get out of your blood. Most here in CO though prefer and appreciate a very different approach and scenery (not to mention climate). Two very different worlds. Coming from Tennessee, I could understand seeking out WA, OR, ID, NC, etc. but not Colorado.

You have to consider what it would be like living here over the long run, rather than using your past few visits as experience. It might not be bad or noticeable over a week's stay, but when you strings months together, and it can get the best of you. I'm from a warmer and more humid state, and CO isn't a good match. Each year gets harder. Everyday I think about the good old days when I lived in a part of the country with moderate weather, lush woods, and ample rain. I'm wired and tuned to lots of deep and varied greens too. They aren't here, even in the summer. It's hard to full convey and put into words how that can affect a person.

[pikabike]

Look up the weather-related definition of "sublimation." You can see it happen in CO. Not every time it snows, but not rarely, either. At our old home, I sometimes waited a day before shoveling snow off the dirt driveway (to allow some melting to seep down), only to find that the ground underneath was bone-dry. This is NOT good in terms of retaining moisture for vegetation.

[SkyDog77]

Originally Posted by bigmountain15

We love the rockys for what they are BUT if we could have both we would.

Can't. Sorry.

[SkyDog77]

As stated earlier, the green parts you see in Colorado have a majority of that precip falling as snow.

[Sunderpig2]

Those are great maps. As you can see, with the exception of coastal CA/OR/WA, much of the western half of the US is quite dry compared to the eastern half. For someone used to 50+ inches each year, I would think the light green zone (30-40") would be the lowest desirable limit for relocation. That still leaves lots of choices.

[bigmountain15]

Again, I am not looking for 50inches a year. I know colorado does not get that much rain. I dont want that much rain. Im tired of flooding and weeks straight of rain. I dont want 50 inches of rain yall. Just wondered the greenest parts of colorado. I know must of their precipitation comes from snow. I have been to colorado in summer, fall, winter, spring many times and love it. Just wondered the greenest parts. And if the answer is nowhere thats fine. Just curious.

[Sunderpig2]

Using Google Maps and selecting Earth (aerial/satellite) views, you can see for yourself which areas are "greenest". Below is a high-level image of the state. You can zoom in farther online to get a closer look at those CO rainforests

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by bigmountain15

Again, I am not looking for 50inches a year. I know colorado does not get that much rain. I dont want that much rain. Im tired of flooding and weeks straight of rain. I dont want 50 inches of rain yall. Just wondered the greenest parts of colorado. I know must of their precipitation comes from snow. I have been to colorado in summer, fall, winter, spring many times and love it. Just wondered the greenest parts. And if the answer is nowhere thats fine. Just curious.

The correct answer is Nowhere, not if you are looking to replicate anything close to what you are used to in Tennessee. The whole eastern half of the state is plains with hardly any trees (just those that grow along waterways). The mountains are beautiful, but still not the lush, dense green of the east.

I grew up on the East Coast and moved to Colorado for skiing and the outdoor lifestyle. Always missed the "green, green grass of home" but would never want to move back East.

When my husband and I retired, we spent time looking at where we wanted to live. My vote was for something greener and closer to the ocean than Colorado, which let us to Oregon, Washington, and northern California. Somehow we ended up in Hawaii, which is DEFINITELY green!