Anywhere in Co not have a lot of snow? (Denver: real estate, sex offenders)

[sgirl58]

Hello all-looking at Co for retiremnt (Not for a while still) and living in NOrthern CA now. Got about 3 inches a snow this year where I live. Looking for somewhere less expensive to live but not with a lot of Winter-I don't enjoy cold temps and don't ski. Any part of Co not so cold and full of snow?
Thanks,
C

[EscapeCalifornia]

New Mexico.

[Neditate]

I would look at Grand Junction. It's on the western slope. It seems to be warmer there in the summer and not as cold in the winter as the front range. As long as I've lived here I've never heard of them getting lots of snow, either.
Grand Junction, Colorado (CO) Detailed Profile - relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, news, sex offenders

[jazzlover]

Snow is relatively sparse in any areas of the state below around 4,500 feet elevation, as well as in the west-central valleys of the Western Slope, and the lower Arkansas River valley. That does not mean snow-free and it doesn't necessarily mean not cold. Everyplace in the state is capable of dropping below zero at some point in the winter, and most everyplace usually does. The longest frost-free periods in the state are around 180 days, but most lower elevation areas are around 130-150 days, mountain areas often half that or less. The town of Silverton (9,300 ft. elevation) has around a 14-day frost-free period in the summer. If you are looking for a California-type Mediterranean/Coastal climate, it is not here. Aside from the mountain towns, few towns or cities in the state get more than 15 inches of precipitation in a year, many get 10 inches or less. Colorado is an arid state outside of the higher mountains.

Unlike many areas of California, Colorado weather can be very changeable, sometimes violent, and very variable from year-to-year. Drought is common. It's an invigorating climate, but there is nothing "precious or cute" about it. My personal all-time ambient (no wind chill) temperature experience from living in numerous Colorado locales ranges from 108 degrees to 55 below zero. By the way, those two extremes occurred in two towns only 90 miles apart.

Go to Weatherbase for climatic averages for numerous locales all over the US and world.

[COflower]

Grand Junction doesn't have much snow at all...but keep in mind it can easily get into the 100s in the summer.

The only real other option for a retiree is Cañon City. But it too can get close to or at 100° in the summer.

The thing is that you never know what's in store for winter, anywhere in CO. The two above places are probably the best when it comes to snow and the lack there of...however if you want snow free, look to AZ or FLA, CO is not your state.

I FORGOT: If you don't like cold temps, another reason to stay away from CO. You never know what temps you will get. When I lived in Grand Junction it would easily remain at 30° or so for days on end because it's in a valley. I love it there but given the fact you don't like cold temps, Colorado is not for you even in an area that may have less snowfall.

[RangerDuke08]

Originally Posted by COflower

Grand Junction doesn't have much snow at all...but keep in mind it can easily get into the 100s in the summer.

The only real other option for a retiree is Cañon City. But it too can get close to or at 100° in the summer.

The thing is that you never know what's in store for winter, anywhere in CO. The two above places are probably the best when it comes to snow and the lack there of...however if you want snow free, look to AZ or FLA, CO is not your state.

I FORGOT: If you don't like cold temps, another reason to stay away from CO. You never know what temps you will get. When I lived in Grand Junction it would easily remain at 30° or so for days on end because it's in a valley. I love it there but given the fact you don't like cold temps, Colorado is not for you even in an area that may have less snowfall.

Gotta love the weather in Colorado, where it was 30 and snowing yesterday and 70 today, looking out the window at some kids sunbathing on the lawn this very moment. In Arizona Sedona is worth checking out, it's close to flagstaff but lower i elevation at 4000 ft or so you only got 3 inches of snow a year maybe 50/30 in the winters, gets up to 80/100s in the summer but nothing like Phoenix and honestly Denver can get up to the 100s for a couple days as well. VERY safe town, can get a lil pricey in housing compared to most of AZ.

[tfox]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

New Mexico.

You have to get pretty far into New Mexico before the cold and the snow are gone. By the time you hit Las Cruces, you've mostly escaped the snow except for maybe a couple of small coatings of snow per winter. Even Albuquerque can get snow (I've seen it snow in Albuquerque many times), though much less often than Denver (and certainly not in April!)

For the OP, if you really don't want snow, you need the desert southwest. Think Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, etc. Or California. Not Colorado.

[COflower]

Originally Posted by RangerDuke08

Gotta love the weather in Colorado, where it was 30 and snowing yesterday and 70 today, looking out the window at some kids sunbathing on the lawn this very moment. In Arizona Sedona is worth checking out, it's close to flagstaff but lower i elevation at 4000 ft or so you only got 3 inches of snow a year maybe 50/30 in the winters, gets up to 80/100s in the summer but nothing like Phoenix and honestly Denver can get up to the 100s for a couple days as well. VERY safe town, can get a lil pricey in housing compared to most of AZ.

Funny that, I will go out on the patio in january when it's 50° and sunny to eat my lunch.

I love it here but I think the OP may not like it as much as someone like me that's been here all my life. I can enjoy a winter day sitting in the sun. Some people can't do that and when the cold really hits here, Thank the Canadian fronts that come through. I've lived in this house 10 years come August and this is the fourth time the fence has been replaced (the landlord's fence is fine, it's the fence that connects me on the south side of the property...no one can get it right...) because of the cold winds that can and do hit.

But yeah, it takes a hardy but realistic person to love it here and I am afraid the OP just would not like it here. AZ is probably the best bet. My older bro used to live there so I do have some kind of knowledge as I would visit him and woudl listen to his tales of living there.

[CosmicWizard]

Here in Grand Junction there has not been much snow during the two winters I've lived here. Those who have been here longer say that the past two winters had more snow than usual. Although there hasn't been much snow because of the cold it stays on the ground for weeks at a time. Winter is a reality here. It does get cold. There is usually a stretch of 3 weeks or more with ovenite lows in the single digits. Below zero temperatures are common. It is however usually very sunny, so that does take the edge off the cold. Summers get quite hot. Last summer there were 79 days with high temps of 90 or above, including 10 days with triple digit highs. 2008 has been a year with below normal temps. The mean temperature is running about 3 degrees below normal for the entire year thus far.