How are the winters? (Denver, Boulder: real estate, high school, living in)

[BSL63087]

What are the winters typically like in the Denver area? It seems like this past winter was a pretty bad one but I woudn't think they are all like that. Does it ever warm up into the 50s and 60s or is it pretty much 40s or below all winter?

I'm in the Louisville, KY area and I'm still trying to figure out where I want to move in the west. I've been looking at Phoenix, Dallas, and San Diego. Phoenix and Dallas are slowly but surely starting to turn me off with brutal summer heat and other problems. San Diego or more north up towards LA would be ideal but then those places are really expensive and I think they might be too overpriced. I am, however, looking for a place with more mild winters than here. I'd imagine Denver winters are probably similar to here maybe even a little worse? Are they indeed worse, about the same, a little better?

Denver seems very nice and I would like it but I'm wanting to get away from the winters and 3-4 straight months of scraping off windshields and driving through snow and ice and I'm sure Denver wouldn't be much of a change as far as winter weather goes.

[Katarina Witt]

You can search both this and the Colorado forum. There is lots of information about the Colorado winters here.

[BSL63087]

Thanks, sorry I should have searched first before posting this.

[soonermeteor]

The Denver area actually has little "ice on the windshield" issues. I learned this after living in Colorado and then moving to Oklahoma. You'll get some frost or a little bit of melted snow, but i normally just pull out the brush and fling of the snow in a minute's time. Fast forward to Oklahoma ( and the rest of the east) and you get the coating of ice that takes an hour to get off. We got out of an exam back in November and I couldn't get my car door open. It has to do with the elevation. We always get just the snow.

Ice does show up on the roads because of melting and freezing, however.

[BSL63087]

Originally Posted by soonermeteor

The Denver area actually has little "ice on the windshield" issues. I learned this after living in Colorado and then moving to Oklahoma. You'll get some frost or a little bit of melted snow, but i normally just pull out the brush and fling of the snow in a minute's time. Fast forward to Oklahoma ( and the rest of the east) and you get the coating of ice that takes an hour to get off. We got out of an exam back in November and I couldn't get my car door open. It has to do with the elevation. We always get just the snow.

Ice does show up on the roads because of melting and freezing, however.

That's interesting. I've also had a few cases of the car door not opening/being tough to get open. Snow... it's fun to look at no doubt and I like it but then I hate it when you are trying to get out and do everyday things like going to work, running errands, etc. I would imagine Denver is probably pretty well equipped to remove snow/ice from the roads in the city. I could probably deal with winter if it were shorter but I just don't like how winter tends to typically drag out here. It usually doesn't start to warm up much until around the second or third week of April, which is too long for me. I keep hearing people talk about how winters in Denver aren't all that bad, but then I just went to the NWS site for Denver and looked up recorded temperatures for random days in the winter time in various recent years and not only do they look worse than here, days can still get cold into June?? June 4, 2005, a high of 59 and a low of 42... ouch no thanks. Denver seems like a great place and I think I would like it there if it weren't for the cold. I can't stand it. Give me heat over cold any day.

[BSL63087]

I just checked out some temperatures for various days in recent years in the winter and from what I see here it's even worse than where I'm at now. It's unfortunate because Denver seems nice but I can't go for the cold. I guess at the end of the day, I'll take the hot summers in Phoenix or Dallas over the long winters in Denver. Some are the other way around, but personally I'd prefer it to be a little too hot outside than a little too cold.

[vegaspilgrim]

If you're thinking about Denver, don't be under any illusions that the climate is "mild"-- because it's not, no matter how often tourism and real estate promoters try to market it that way. Even though Colorado is a very sunny place, it is not part of the "sunbelt"-- which really means "Warm Winter Belt." However, Denver and Colorado as a whole happens to be a mecca for people who love year round outdoor recreation-- both summer and winter sports. After all, look what's in Denver's backyard! I don't know about Dallas, but I can tell you firsthand that people in Phoenix are no where near as outdoorsy and athletic as people in Denver. Phoenix is a great place for those who want to be lazy and lounge out by the swimming pool all day. Denver is better for people who like hiking, jogging, skiing, cross-country skiing, fishing, white water rafting, bicycling, rock climbing-- all of the 'ings. Perhaps I'm being too nosy here, but I say, if you are a young person, finding a place that is conducive to a physically active and healthy lifestyle is more important (and ultimately rewarding) than being comfortably warm in the winter. Warming up in the winter is more of an issue for older people with arthritis and joint problems, aching backs, who cannot risk slipping on ice and injuring themselves.

[yukon]

I can't comment on Denver, never been there, but I can say that the Dallas winters generally aren't that bad. Some are worse than others, with ice storms hitting as late as March, but those are the exceptions rather than the norm. December was always my favorite month in Dallas - many holiday activities and events are outdoors, and it's cold enough to feel Christmassy but not so cold you're miserable the whole time. Some winters, I wore shorts. Other winters, I had to haul out the coat. The few times it does snow, it melts by midday or at the worst, the next day. You do have to watch out for black ice there, however - winter cold fronts often arrive with rain, which then freezes on the roads overnight. If you're moving from Key West, you'll hate Dallas winters. But if you're moving from Chicago or Minneapolis, Dallas winters will feel like Key West to you. It's all a matter of perspective.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by BSL63087

That's interesting. I would imagine Denver is probably pretty well equipped to remove snow/ice from the roads in the city. I could probably deal with winter if it were shorter but I just don't like how winter tends to typically drag out here. It usually doesn't start to warm up much until around the second or third week of April, which is too long for me. I keep hearing people talk about how winters in Denver aren't all that bad, but then I just went to the NWS site for Denver and looked up recorded temperatures for random days in the winter time in various recent years and not only do they look worse than here, days can still get cold into June?? June 4, 2005, a high of 59 and a low of 42... ouch no thanks. Denver seems like a great place and I think I would like it there if it weren't for the cold. I can't stand it. Give me heat over cold any day.

As far as Denver roads, be under no illusion that they are cleared promptly or even very thoroughly. Plowing is a source of great public dissatisfaction with the local governments. Funny thing you should mention that date, June 4, 2005. That is the day my daughter graduated from high school. It snowed in Boulder that morning! (The NWS statistics are from Denver Int. Airport.) Right now, we are in a heat wave, with highs in the upper 90s. So we get both extremes, though winter is not as extreme as say, Minnesota.

[BabyBoomers2]

We are originally from Detroit, Mich (wife) and I grew up on a farm in northeast Indiana. We moved here (Englewood then Parker) in June 2002. Now, neither of has had seen snow in Mich or Ind during Halloween week or on Mother's Day Weekend......we have definitely seen snow here during both of those times!! HOWEVER, it is very true that there are "some" great/beautiful 40's and 50's (temp) days here during the winter. But, there is one thing that is DEFINITELY for sure.......the Denver metro area does get a winter. No matter how "mild" the locals here want to say it can be, winter still hits here and sometimes VERY HARD.
As for us, due to our age and my shoulder surgery (fall in ice/snow last Dec.), we have to move to a "less" winter climate. There will be "some" snow where we are going to, but not like the inches (sometimes feet) that happens here.
Other than my fall, we have had a fantastic time living here and have plenty of video and pictures to remind us of those "good times".